India's top military official killed in helicopter crash
![India's top military official killed in helicopter crash India's top military official killed in helicopter crash](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/7821/conversions/mili-og_image.jpg)
The 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army Bipin Rawat (L) waves after sitting in the co-pilot seat of a Light Combat Aircraft of the Indian Airforce during the Aero India airshow at the Yelahanka Air Force station, in Bangalore on Feb. 21, 2019.
India’s top military leader, General Bipin
Rawat, was killed Wednesday when the military helicopter he was traveling in
crashed in southern India, the Indian air force said.
Officials say 12 others, including his wife,
died when the Russian Mi-175V chopper went down in a forested region in Tamil
Nadu around noon local time.
An air force officer, who was the only
survivor, is in hospital.
“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,” the air force said in a statement
hours after the crash was reported and images of smoke billowing from its
mangled wreckage flashed on Indian television.
Locals said they heard a blast and saw the
chopper on fire.
The 63-year-old Rawat, who was previously
India’s army chief, was appointed as the country’s first chief of defense staff
two years ago. The post was created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
government to provide “effective leadership” to one of the world’s largest
militaries.
Modi called Rawat “an outstanding soldier” in
a tweet. “A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernizing our armed
forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic
matters were exceptional,” the prime minister said.
Rawat was involved in steering an integration
of the army, navy and air force and carrying out reforms to overhaul the
military, which has faced fresh challenges since last year as it remains locked
in a standoff with China along disputed Himalayan borders.
Rawat called China the biggest security
threat to India last month. He visited the United States in October to discuss
closer defense collaboration with the Pentagon.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh called his
“untimely death an irreparable loss to our armed forces and the country.” In a
tweet he said “General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage
and diligence. As first chief of defense staff, he had prepared plans for
jointness of our armed forces.”
The chopper crashed about a half hour after
it took off from an Indian Air force base in Sulur and was just a few
kilometers short of its destination in Wellington, where Rawat was due to
deliver a lecture at the Defense Services Staff College.
The Indian Air Force said that an inquiry has
been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash. Domestic media reports
attributed it to low visibility due to foggy conditions.
The Mi-17V5 is a sophisticated military
transport helicopter, often used to ferry top officials and ministers.
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