Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, will address both Houses of Parliament about the military chopper crash near Coonoor, which killed 13 people, including the chief of the defence staff, General Bipin Rawat. Rawat was on his way to a seminar at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
The chopper crashed minutes before reaching its target in Wellington. General Rawat, India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS), received a flood of tributes.
Important highlights
1. Bipin Rawat’s and his wife’s mortal remains are anticipated to arrive in Delhi on a military plane by Thursday evening.
2. The last rites will be given in Delhi Cantonment on Friday. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the bodies would be held at their home for people to pay their last respects. The funeral procession will begin from Kamraj Marg and end at the cremation in Brar Square.
3. The Uttarakhand government has established a three-day state of mourning beginning December 9 in honor of Bipin Rawat’s untimely death.
4. Following the chopper tragedy, the Cabinet Committee on Security convened on Wednesday. The CCS members were updated on the terrible occurrence by national security adviser Ajit Doval, principal secretary to Prime Minister PK Misra, and cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
5. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, has asked her supporters not to celebrate her birthday on Thursday.
6. The US, Russia, China, and Pakistan have all conveyed their condolences over Gen Rawat’s death.
7. The IAF has launched an investigation into the disaster because nothing is known about what caused it. Poor vision appears to be the cause, according to early reports. Since 2012, the Indian Air Force has operated the Mi17V5 helicopter, which is an advanced military transport helicopter. The pilot of the doomed chopper was Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan.
8. As the chopper fell into rough terrain, the rescue grew more challenging. Witnesses in the area reported they had never heard anything like it.
