Mortal remains of 4 IAF, 2 army personnel killed in Coonoor chopper crash identified
The mortal remains of four personnel of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and two soldiers of the Indian Army killed in the helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu earlier this week has been completed, news agency ANI reported on Saturday.
Out of the total 14 officers and personnel on board the helicopter, 13 were killed in the horrific Mi-17V5 helicopter crash near Coonoor town on Wednesday. India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Raje Singh Rawat, and the CDS’ defence assistant Brigadier LS Lidder were among the dead.
The others are Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan (pilot), Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh (co-pilot), Junior Warrant Officers Rana Pratap Das and Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik B Sai Teja.
The army also said, according to ANI, positive identification of mortal remains of Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik B Sai Teja has been done. The news agency reported citing the IAF air transport plan for them as well as the identified army soldiers will follow.
“The mortal remains have been released to close family members this morning. Mortal remains will move by air for last rites with appropriate military honour. Wreaths will be laid at the Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment prior to departure,” ANI cited an army official as saying.
“The process for positive identification of remaining mortal remains is continuing,” the official also said.
Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and his Brigadier Lidder were cremated with full military honours at Delhi’s Brar Square Crematorium as their bodies were positively identified.
The sole survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is on life support at the IAF Command Hospital in Bengaluru. A top three-star officer is heading the inquiry into the crash. Rawat was on a visit to the prestigious Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington to address the faculty and student officers there.
On Friday, officials said family members of all the 10 personnel have arrived in the national capital to identify the remains. “The emotional well-being of family members is of utmost importance to us. So we are taking forward the identification process keeping in mind the sensitivities involved,” an official told PTI.
The Coonoor crash was one of the worst air accidents involving India’s top military brass.