The moment General Bipin Rawat's helicopter crashed into the hills in Tamil Nadu was apparently caught in the video of a chopper vanishing into the mist, which emerged yesterday.
The video, sourced from locals, is said to be of the Indian Air Force Mi17 V5 chopper carrying India's top general, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 officers, which crashed in the Nilgiris near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
The Air Force has not commented on the authenticity of the video.
As the video starts, the chopper is seen flying near the hills and then disappearing into the fog. The sound of the chopper draws the attention of a group of people nearby. Moments later, the sound changes and the rotors fall silent abruptly.
#WATCH | Final moments of Mi-17 chopper carrying CDS Bipin Rawat and 13 others before it crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu yesterday
(Video Source: Locals present near accident spot) pic.twitter.com/jzdf0lGU5L
— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2021There is silence when people look in the direction of the chopper and seem to wonder what happened. One person seems to ask: "What happened? Did it fall or crash?" Another voice in the video replies: "Yes".
General Rawat was on his way to Wellington from the Sulur Air Force Base in Coimbatore to address faculty and students at a defence institute on Wednesday afternoon.
The chopper, which took off at 11:48 am, was reported missing at around 12.08 pm. It crashed seven minutes before it was to land.
The only survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is being treated for severe burns and has been shifted from the military hospital in Wellington to Bengaluru.
AdvertisementAn eyewitness quoted by news agency AFP said he had seen passengers falling from the helicopter before the crash, and that one person had crawled out from the wreckage.
Several investigation teams have been to the crash site. The black box or flight data recorder has been found.
AdvertisementDefence minister Rajnath Singh told parliament yesterday that a tri-services inquiry is under way.
