OOTY: Chiefs of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat have died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. His wife's demise has also been confirmed. The accident took place at around noon in Coonoor near Ooty. The Air Force's Mi-17 helicopter crashed. There were fourteen people on board the helicopter. Thirteen people were last reported dead.

The officers on board the helicopter were Brigadier LS Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Havildar Satpal.

Bipin Rawat was admitted to a military hospital in Wellington but his condition was critical. Rescue operations were carried out by police, soldiers and locals in the area. The Air Force has ordered an investigation into the crash. The accident happened on the way from Coonoor to Wellington Cantonment while attempting to land at Katteri Park between Coimbatore and Sulur. Preliminary assessment is that bad weather caused the accident. A high-level medical team also arrived at the scene.