New Delhi, December 09:
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will brief both the Houses of Parliament on the military chopper crash near Coonoor that killed 13, including chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat. Rawat was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to attend a programme. Minutes before reaching the destination in Wellington, the chopper crashed. Tributes poured in for General Rawat, the first chief of defence staff of India.
Here are the latest updates
1. The mortal remains of Bipin Rawat and his wife are expected to arrive in Delhi on a military plane by Thursday evening.
2. The last rites will be performed on Friday in Delhi Cantonment. The bodies would be kept in their house from 11am to 2pm for people to pay their last respect. The funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg to Brar Square crematorium.
3. The Uttarakhand government has declared a three-day state mourning from December 9 over the sudden demise of Bipin Rawat.
4. The Cabinet Committee on Security met on Wednesday following the chopper crash. National security adviser Ajit Doval, principal secretary to Prime Minister PK Misra and cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba attended the meeting in which the CCS members were briefed about the tragic incident.
5. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appealed to the party workers to not celebrate her birthday on Thursday.
6. The United States, Russia, China and Pakistan have expressed their condolence over the demise of Gen Rawat.
7. The IAF has ordered a probe into the crash as nothing much is known about how the accident took place. Initial reports indicate that poor visibility might be the reason. The Mi17V5 helicopter is an advanced military transport chopper with the Indian Air Force since 2012. Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan was the pilot of the ill-fated chopper.
8. The rescue became a challenge as the chopper crashed on difficult terrain. Local witnesses said they have never heard a blast like that.
