Local people lined up the streets, showering petals and chanting Veer Vannakkam and Bharat Mata ki Jai on the convoy carrying the bodies of Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat and others who died in the chopper crash on Wednesday afternoon.
Heartfelt condolences from every Indian.
People in Tamil Nadu shower flower petals while chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai' & 'Veer Vannakkam' on ambulances carrying mortal remains of CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife & defence personnel who lost their lives in the tragic chopper crash. pic.twitter.com/f8t6c1ZUAY
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 9, 2021
People gathered outside the Sulur airbase in Tamil Nadu where the bodies were brought from the Madras Regimental Centre.
Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and senior military officials paid their last respects to the defence personnel at Sulur.
People having tears in their eyes while paying their respects with salutes to fallen soldiers. Massive respect for people of Tamil Nadu.pic.twitter.com/MUVHSPHPau
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) December 9, 2021
The bodies of the defence personnel will be flown to their natives places. Gen. Rawat and his wife's bodies will be brought to Delhi and placed at their official residence.
General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other defence personnel died when their helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
The helicopter, an Mi-17 V5, had taken off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, at 11.45 am and was on its way to Wellington in Nilgiri Hills where Gen. Rawat had to address a gathering of the Defence Services Staff College.
Only Air Force Group Captain Varun Singh, who had gone to receive the general, survived the crash. He has been airlifted to Bengaluru.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the parliament that all the personnel who perished in the crash will be given State honours.
