CDS General Bipin Rawat passes away in chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, confirms IAF

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has passed away after an Army helicopter he was traveling crashed in Tamil Nadu. The accident took place between Coimbatore and Conoor. Along with Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Army officials were also in the helicopter.

The Rawat couple, along with Army officials, left Delhi for Tamil Nadu this morning on a special flight to give a lecture at the Defence College in Wellington. The helicopter crashed on its way to Wellington leaving thirteen people dead and the bodies were to be identified by DNA tests.

"With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident," IAF tweeted.

The union defence minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted over the demise of CDS General Bipin Rawat by writing, "Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country,"