OOTY: The residents of the area are in shock after the helicopter carrying Army Chief Bipin Rawat and his wife, crashed around 12.20 pm today. Kumarasamy, a neighbour said he heard a loud noise and ran out of the house, where he saw fire rising as high as his house. He said he did not understand what it was when he first saw it but understood when others said that it was a copter crash.

"I saw the helicopter coming down. There were terrible loud sounds... plumes of smoke and fire rising high after it hit the ground" An eyewitness describes crash of IAF chopper carrying senior defence officials including CDS Gen Bipin Rawat. pic.twitter.com/ZnpZ2JLGPl

— Bharathy Singaravel|பாரதி| ‏بارتي (@KuthaliPu) December 8, 2021

Kumarasamy said he and his neighbours heard the noise and poured water to douse the fire, but the fire was still raging and shortly after, two people with burns jumped out of the helicopter. He said he was mentally exhausted after seeing the sight and returned home immediately.

"I saw the helicopter coming down. There were terrible loud sounds... plumes of smoke and fire rising high after it hit the ground" An eyewitness describes crash of IAF chopper carrying senior defence officials including CDS Gen Bipin Rawat. pic.twitter.com/ZnpZ2JLGPl

— Bharathy Singaravel|பாரதி| ‏بارتي (@KuthaliPu) December 8, 2021

Kumarasamy said at first they did not know what to do and finally Kumar, my neighbour, informed the police and the fire brigade. Kumarasamy said a friend who witnessed the incident said the helicopter lost control and crashed into a nearby tree.