Some accidents and tragedies will shake the conscience of the country itself. One such was the helicopter crash at Coonoor near Ooty. This unfortunate and shocking accident has claimed the life of our Joint Chiefs of Staff Bipin Rawat. Thirteen people, including his wife Madhulika Rawat and senior army officers and officials, were killed in the tragedy. The country was shocked to hear this news.

The crash of the helicopter carrying the Joint Chiefs of Staff was an extraordinary event. A Russian-made helicopter has crashed in a forest near Coonoor. Although the initial inference is that adverse weather conditions are thought to have caused the accident, all aspects of the accident should be subjected to a detailed investigation. Because no one should be left with a shred of doubt in accidents like this. The Air Force has ordered an investigation. The investigation should be completed expeditiously and the Central Government is obliged to inform the public its details.

The helicopter took off from Coimbatore at 11.47 am and crashed around noon. The accident happened just ten kilometers from the landing. This is the second time Bipin Rawat's helicopter has crashed. He miraculously survived a helicopter crash on February 3, 2015 in Dimapur, Nagaland. The helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff that day. He was then Lieutenant General. On December 30, 2019, Bipin Rawat was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the three Armed Forces.

Heavy fog was reported in Coonoor at the time of the accident. The immediate fire of the wrecked helicopter caused the death toll to rise and rescue operations to be disrupted. Heavy fireballs had been raging in the area for about an hour. The first phase of the rescue operation was carried out by the locals. The trip was to attend a ceremony at Wellington Staff College in Ooty. According to initial reports, the accident happened while attempting to land on the helipad in Wellington without attempting to land due to bad weather.

The crash of the Air Force's state - of - the - art MI - 17 V5 helicopter, which carries VIPs, including the Prime Minister, has taken technologists by surprise. In 2019, a helicopter crashed in Jammu and Kashmir. It was after the Indian airstrikes on Balakot in Pakistan. The helicopter crashed during an attack from the Indian side, mistaken for a Pakistani plane.

Following the news of the accident, high-level government-level consultations are underway in Delhi. According to Army protocol, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Modi on the accident. The possibility of a technical fault with the helicopter is remote. Helicopters are flown by highly skilled and experienced pilots while military commanders and others travel. Therefore, the possibility of error on the part of the pilot is very rare.

It can be reasonably assumed that the scope of the investigation, including the possibility of a coup. At the same time, the possibility of a lot of fake news and propaganda about the accident inside and outside the country cannot be ruled out. So it is imperative that the real details of the accident come out as soon as possible to dispel the doubts in the minds of the people.

It is natural for people to think differently when a helicopter carrying a high-ranking officer in military uniform crashes. Attempts may be made to take advantage of it. The investigation team can be expected to release a scientific and accurate report on the accident without giving it a chance. Kerala Kaumudi also shares the deep sadness of the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident and the country.