India on Thursday ordered a tri-services probe into Wednesday's chopper crash that claimed the lives of the country's first military chief, General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 other armed forces personnel.
Tri-services probe means an investigation by the three branches of the military -- the Indian Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
"The Indian Air Force has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the military chopper crash. The investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command)," Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told the Parliament.
Meanwhile, the lone survivor of the crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu -- senior Air Force officer Group Captain Varun Singh -- was airlifted to a state-of-the-art military hospital in the neighbouring state of Karnataka's capital Bengaluru from a medical facility.
"Group Captain Singh is on life support and all efforts are being made to save him," the Defence Minister said.
The 63-year-old Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to deliver a lecture at Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the Mi-17 V5 chopper crashed in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor district and burst into flames on Wednesday noon.
"With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat (wife) and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident," the Air Force tweeted last evening after day-long DNA tests confirmed the identities of the bodies.
Moments later, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, the supreme commander of the armed forces, tweeted to say that "the nation has lost one of its bravest sons". Prime Minister Modi, on his part, described the four-star General as "an outstanding soldier".
General Rawat has had a chequered career in the armed forces spanning over 40 years, rising from the rank of a junior commissioned officer to the Indian Army chief and eventually the first head of the tri-services. He reported directly to the Indian Prime Minister, reports UNB.
