Coimbatore: An Indian Airforce helicopter MI V-5 with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat aboard on Wednesday crashed at Katteri area near Coonoor in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Eleven casualities have been confirmed and three including in critical condition.
An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the incident.
Initial reports indicate that the helicopter carrying senior military officials crashed due to dense cloud cover. Further details are awaited.
Tamil Nadu Minister of Forests Ramachandran, the District Collector and district officials are camping at the scene and carrying out rescue and relief operations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will brief the Parliament on the chopper crash. The chopper had CDS General Rawat, his staff and family members on board.
