Modi leads tributes to Gen. Bipin Rawat & others killed in crash as bodies arrive in Delhi
Only 3 of 13 bodies identified so far — those of Gen. Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and Brig. L.S. Lidder. Gen. Rawat's funeral will take place with full military honours Friday.
PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to the late Gen. Bipin Rawat and the other victims of the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint
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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.
CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat’s mortal remains arrive in New Delhi | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintBodies of the 13 persons killed in the chopper crash | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintThe Rawats’ daughters, Kritika and Tarini, pay tribute to their departed parents | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintPM Modi with Gen. Bipin and Madhulika Rawat’s daughters | Photo: Suraj Sigh Bisht | ThePrintDefence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Palam air base, where the bodies were brought in from Tamil Nadu | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintDefence Minister Rajnath Singh pays tribute to the victims of the helicopter crash | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintNational Security Advisor Ajit Doval pays tribute to the victims | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintArmy chief M.M. Naravane leaves after paying tribute to those killed | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintAir Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari pays his last respects to the victims | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintNavy chief R. Hari Kumar pays tribute | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintThe Rawats’ daughters Kritika and Tarini at the Palam air base| Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintThe families of other service personnel who died in the helicopter crash at the Palam air base | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrintPM Modi pays tribute to CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat and the other victims of the crash | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint
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