General Bipin Rawat, head of the Indian Armed Forces, and 12 other people died this Wednesday (8) in a helicopter crash in the south of the country.
According to a statement from the Indian Air Force, the victims had left a base for a military college in the state of Tamil Nadu when the Russian-made Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed near the town of Coonoor.
Images from local TV stations showed rescue workers and military personnel pulling bodies from the wreckage on steep slopes. There were 14 people aboard the helicopter, including the general’s wife, Madhulika Rawat, who also passed away. There was only one survivor, who is admitted with injuries in a hospital in the region.
Government sources told Reuters news agency that the bodies of some of the victims were so charred that they could not be identified immediately.
Rawat, 63, was an infantry soldier with more than 40 years of military service. He served along India’s border with China, in the Kashmir region —the stage for historic disputes with Pakistan— and on a United Nations (UN) mission on the African continent.
He assumed command of the Army at the end of 2016 until being appointed Chief of the Defense Staff of India by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2019. The position was created to integrate the Army with the other Armed Forces of the country, the Navy and the Air Force.
In a series of Twitter posts, Modi said he was deeply distressed by the death of Rawat, whom he described as “a remarkable soldier” and “a true patriot”.
“He did much to modernize our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic issues were exceptional,” the prime minister wrote.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke on social media and referred to Rawat’s death as “an irreparable loss for the armed forces and for the country”.
According to Indian state TV, Modi has called a cabinet security committee meeting for this Wednesday. It is not yet known what exactly caused the crash of the helicopter, but the Air Force opened an inquiry to investigate the possible causes of the tragedy.
India has dozens of Mi-17 aircraft in service. They are widely used to transport high-ranking military personnel and government ministers.
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