A military helicopter carrying Indian Defence Chief General Bipin Rawat crashed in southern India on Wednesday, killing at least 13 of the 14 personnel on board.
Officials say, the identities of the bodies have yet to be confirmed.
According to reports, 11 bodies have been discovered. Meanwhile, sources say, 13 of the 14 persons have been confirmed dead, and their bodies will be identified by DNA testing.
The Indian Air Force also announced that it has launched an investigation into the reason of the tragedy, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is keeping an eye on the situation following the crash of an IAF chopper.
Security forces around Gen Bipin Rawat’s residence have been raised and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been briefed about the crash.
Mr. Rawat was said to be on his way from an Indian Air Force base in Sulur to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, where he was scheduled to give a lecture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet selected Rawat as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in late 2019. The position was created with the goal of uniting India’s three military services: the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
