New Delhi: The mortal remains of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other armed forces personnel who were killed in the IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor Wednesday, arrived at the Palam air base in New Delhi Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval paid tribute to those who lost their lives.
Gen. Rawat’s funeral will take place with full military honours in New Delhi Friday.
Only three out of 13 bodies have been identified so far — those of Gen. Rawat, Madhulika Rawat, and Brigadier L.S. Lidder.
There was only one survivor in the crash — Group Captain Varun Singh — who was airlifted from the military hospital in Wellington to Bengaluru Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh briefed Parliament on the chopper crash. He told the Lok Sabha Thursday that the chopper lost contact with Air Traffic Control at Sulur Air Base seven minutes before it was expected to land.
Singh also said that a tri-Service enquiry into the incident has been ordered. It will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Training Command.
