Current affairs

Watch: Final video of military chopper with Bipin Rawat on board...Rajnath Singh makes major announcement!

By alagu, 09 December, 2021
Bipin Rawat, Rajnath Singh, Chopper Crash, Nilgiris, Tamilnadu

The Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu has been in the nation's eye as more developments from the military chopper crash get unfolded on Thursday. The Mi-17V5 chopper operated by the Indian Air Force had crashed and charred on Wednesday in the Nilgiris with 14 people on board including General Bipin Rawat, India's Chief of Defence Staff. The Air Force had later confirmed that Rawat, his wife, and eleven others had died in the crash while one person has been getting treated at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Nilgiris. 

The accident has happened at 12.20 pm on Wednesday and the chopper that he was on board has been labelled as a sophisticated carrier that can whir against difficult and challenging weather conditions. India has over 150 choppers of such model in its defence fleet and they were mainly imported from Russia and used to transport VVIPs including the President and the Prime Minister. However, following the accident, the efficacy and capabilities of Mi-17V5 choppers had come under public scrutiny at a high time when India is inking defence deals with Russia. 

On Wednesday, Bipin Rawat arrived in Tamil Nadu to deliver a lecture at Defence Service Staff College in Wellington, Nilgiris. The chopper was carrying 14 people on board including Rawat, his wife, top military generals, and five crew members. However, minutes ahead of landing, the chopper had lost its control and crashed on the ground. It was cited that foggy weather was a reason why the chopper has crashed and the mishap had the equipment burning for over an hour. Rawat's condition was immediately not known and later, it was declared that he and his wife were among the 13 deceased. 

As the entire nation is mourning his loss, a video has been going viral on social media. A video that was taken by locals in the Nilgiris had captured the final moments of the crashed chopper. The video, which was filmed near the mountain railroad, had shown the chopper flying in the midst of foggy weather minutes before the crash. ANI has shared the video on Twitter and it has been rampantly spread across the nation amid paying tribute to the lives lost in the crash. 

The news agency has quoted that the video was filmed by the locals present near the accident site. As the bodies of the deceased including Bipin Rawat was moved to the Madras Regimental Centre in the Nilgiris from the Military Hospital, more developments have been pouring in from the crash. ANI has quoted the sources saying that the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder of the crashed chopper have been recovered from the accident site and the officials had recovered another crucial equipment. 

Back in Delhi, the Union government is preparing to provide full honour to Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has made a crucial statement in Parliament on Thursday concerning the death of Bipin Rawat and the chopper crash. Both the chambers of the Parliament had observed silence on the demise of Bipin Rawat, his wife, and other personnel in the crash. 

While speaking at the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh said, "The last rites of CDS General Bipin Rawat will be performed with full military honours. The last rites of other military personnel will be performed with appropriate military honour." In a major announcement, the Defence Minister has further said that the Indian Air Force has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the military chopper crash and the investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh. He added that the inquiry team had reached Wellington on Wednesday and started the investigation.

Speaking about the health condition of the sole survivor of the crash Captain Varun Singh, the Defence Minister said, "Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. All efforts are being made to save his life." In the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has paid floral tribute to CDS Bipin Rawat and others who died in the Coonoor chopper crash at the Madras Regimental Centre. Bipin Rawat's home state Uttarakhand had also paid tribute to the son of the soil. 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, state ministers, and MLAs had paid tribute to CDS Bipin Rawat in the state assembly. Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force had said that an inquiry has been ordered into the accident. After learning about his demise, national leaders including the President, the Prime Minister, and Union Ministers had paid tribute and remembered his services to the nation. 

 

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