Chopper crash: 5 people dead, confirms TN forest Minister

Tamil Nadu State forest minister K Ramachandran said that five of the 14 people on board the chopper carrying Chief of Defence Staff chief General Bipin Rawat, which crashed near Coonoor in the nearby hilly in the Nilgiris district on Wednesday have been confirmed killed, while two others are critically injured.

Addressing media persons here, Ramachandran said, "Chief minister MK Stalin will soon visit the spot. A chopper with 14 people on board, including General Bipin Rawat has crashed. As many as five people are dead, while two are grievously wounded. The (rescue) operation is still underway."

He further said, "The damage would have been more severe, if the chopper had fallen 20 feet away from the present location. Now officials along with locals are involved in the rescue operation."

The details of the decease are yet to be ascertained.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Air Force confirmed that General Rawat was on-board an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter that met with an accident while going from Sulur to Wellington in Tamil Nadu.

Further details are awaited.

( With inputs from ANI )