Education Min Dharmendra Pradhan pays tribute to IAF chopper crash victim JWO Rana Pratap

Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, paid his tribute to JWO Rana Pratap Das, who passed away in the IAF helicopter crash that took away the life of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat as well.

Pradhan took to Twitter with a message and image of JWO Rana Pratap Das. He wrote, "While the country is yet to come to terms with the unfortunate chopper crash yesterday, I also mourn the demise of JWO Rana Pratap Das who lost his life along with CDS Gen Rawat, his wife and other defence personnel. Shri Das was from my hometown in Talcher, Odisha."
 

JWO Rana Pratap Das - Junior Warrant Officer in Indian Air Force

Rana Pratap Das was a Junior Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force. He was from the Talcher village of Krishnachandrapur in Anugul district of Odisha.

He was survived by his wife, one-year-old son, and elderly parents. JWO Das had served in the Indian Air Force for 12 years before the tragic accident. He was assigned to New Delhi, where he and his wife resided, along with their son. His parents still live in his hometown.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issues statement on IAF helicopter crash

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament detailing the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others.

The Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying the defence troops lost all contact a few minutes before its scheduled landing, according to the Defence Minister. The Chopper lost touch with Air Traffic Control of Sulur Air Base at approximately 12.08 p.m., seven minutes before its scheduled landing at Wellington, where CDS Bipin Rawat was to meet with student officers, he added.

Rajnath Singh told the Parliament that the chopper was scheduled to land at Wellington at 12.15 p.m., before which it lost contact with Sulur Air Base's Air Traffic Control.

Locals spotted a fire in the forest near Coonoor and rushed to the scene, where they discovered the wreckage of a military helicopter engulfed in flames, he added. Rajnath Singh also stated that the IAF had authorised a tri-services investigation into the disaster, which will be conducted by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh. The Black Box of the chopper has now been recovered from the crash site by the IAF.

(IMAGE: PTI / Twitter - @dpradhanbjp)