IAF Mi-17V5 choppers airlifted 300 people during Kerala floods before fatal Coonoor crash

The Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter - Mi17V5 that crashed on December 8 claimed the lives of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madulika Rawat and 11 other men in uniform. However, this was the same chopper used to airlift 300 people during Kerala floods.

A joint rescue operation conducted by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force had rescued nearly 300 people, and the IAF had used the same military chopper. Fabricated by Russian Helicopters' subsidiary Kazan, the helicopter has onboard weather radar and is equipped with the latest generation of night vision devices.

During the Kerala floods emergency, IAF, with the help of its Mi-17V5 helicopter, also airlifted 9 personnel stranded on the rooftop of a building, while Army, Navy and Air Force teams provided packed food and water to all the rescued personnel. IAF's Mi17V5 chopper has also been involved in quite a few incidents during the last decade. The chopper has been involved in nearly 6 minor accidents, where everyone aboard escaped unhurt. 

IAF helicopter crash: PM Modi, President Kovind pays final tribute to General Rawat & others who lost their lives

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a wreath and paid his tribute to India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madulika Rawat and 11 other people killed in the IAF helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor. Thereafter, PM Modi, at the Palam Airbase, condoled the bereaved families of the bravehearts individually, including that of General Bipin Rawat, who is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law. 

India to pay final respects to its first-ever CDS

The final journey of General Bipin Rawat from his residence to the Brar Square Crematorium is scheduled to start from his residence at about 2 p.m. The last rites will most likely be attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers.

They are expected to reach by afternoon. The last rites of General Bipin Rawat and his wife are tentatively scheduled to take place after 2 p.m. on Friday.

Besides General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika, his Defence Adviser Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lt Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, JWO Das, Junior Warrant Officer Pradeep Arakkal, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik Sai Teja also lost their lives in the fatal crash. Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is now being treated in Bengaluru.