A day after Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his Wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others lost their lives in an IAF chopper crash in Coonoor, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari arrived at the site of the crash.
On Thursday (December 9), Chaudhari accompanied by DGP of Tamil Nadu C Sylendra Babu reached the crash site near Coonoor in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
Besides, a team of Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Department headed by Director Srinivasan too has arrived at the crash site near to assist in the investigation.
#WATCH | IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari reaches the chopper crash site near Coonoor in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu
— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2021
13 people including CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife lost their lives in the accident on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/djgoBu6Y4B
Meanwhile, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty too has cut short his two days visit to Qatar and is returning to Delhi.
IAF starts a tri-service enquiry
The visit of Chief Air Chief Marshal is important since IAF has ordered a tri-service enquiry into the crash. Defence Ministry informed that the investigation will be headed by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh. The inquiry team reached Wellington on December 8 and has started the investigation.
A tri Service enquiry regarding the incident has been ordered by Indian Air Force, headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command: Raksha Mantri
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) December 9, 2021
Black Box recovered
Wing Commander R. Bhardwaj leading a special team of 25 recovered the Black Box of the ill-fated Mi17v5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force on Thursday morning (December 9). The search team had expanded the area of search from 300 metres to one km from the accident site to get the Black Box. It will help the investigative team to know about the final flight situation and other details.
Eyewitnesses recall the accident
A video of the final moments of that Mi-17 chopper has gone viral which was carrying General Rawat and others and the investigative team is ascertaining its authenticity.
#WATCH | Final moments of Mi-17 chopper carrying CDS Bipin Rawat and 13 others before it crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu yesterday
— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2021
(Video Source: Locals present near accident spot) pic.twitter.com/jzdf0lGU5L
Krishnaswamy, an eyewitness said that he saw a person who was up in flames. “He was standing and then he fell. Then I saw three or four other people who were fully charred. I heard a loud noise and I saw the chopper approaching. As the chopper was descending it caught on fire. I crashed into a big tree here and the area was engulfed in smoke,” he said.
General Bipin Rawat was on a scheduled visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington to interact with the Student Officers. The chopper took off from Sulur Air Base at 11:48 am on December 8. It was expected to reach Wellington by 12:15pm. At approximately 12:08 pm, the Air Traffic Control at Sulur Air Base lost contact with the chopper.
