The Chief of Defence Staff of Indian Army, General Bipin Rawat, his wife and eleven other members of his staff were killed when an Indian Air Force helicopter crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu today [Wednesday].

According to a tweet of Indian Air Force, General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and eleven other persons on board died in the incident.

Gen Bipin Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Nilgiri Hills, to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course.

The crash took place shortly after the Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa have expressed condolences on tragic death of Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and loss of other precious lives in a helicopter crash in India. 

General Nadeem Raza, CJCSC & General Qamar Javed Bajwa, COAS express condolences on tragic death of #CDS General #BipinRawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) December 8, 2021

Meanwhile, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Naval Chief Amjad Khan Niazi also expressed their condolences on the tragic death of Indian CDS General Bipin Rawat and others in the helicopter crash today.

Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, NI(M) Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force; has expressed his condolences on the tragic death of Indian CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his spouse, and 11 other passengers/crew members in the helicopter crash today.

— DGPR (AIR FORCE) (@DGPR_PAF) December 8, 2021

CNS Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi express condolences on tragic death of #CDS General #BipinRawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India.

— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) December 8, 2021