Group Captain Varun Singh, the sole survivor of the IAF chopper crash on Wednesday, December 8, who had been undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington is being shifted to the Air Force Command Hospital in Bengaluru.
According to reports, Singh is “critical, but stable at the moment”. The Shaurya Chakra awardee, who was admitted to the hospital with severe burn injuries on Wednesday, is maintaining vitals.
Briefing Parliament today about the ill-fated chopper crash that comprised as many as four crew members, and nine passengers, including CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in the Military Hospital at Wellington and all efforts are being made to save his life.”
Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. All efforts are being made to save his life: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his statement in Lok Sabha on the military chopper crash in Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/GLU8owBIBk
— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2021
In August, the Air Force officer was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery in piloting his plane when it suffered serious technical problems on a sortie last year. Despite the mid-air emergency, he had safely landed his Tejas fighter.
Group Captain Singh had gone to Sulur to receive General Rawat and escort him to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. General Rawat was to address the faculty and students at the institute, where Group Captain Singh was Directing Staff.
IAF Mi-17V5 chopper crash
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other personnel died on Wednesday after the Indian Air Force chopper they were travelling in crashed around 12:22 pm on December 8 near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
The Mi-17V5 helicopter of IAF was on its way from Sulur IAF base in Coimbatore to Defence Staff College in Wellington when it crashed.
Brigadier LS Lidder, the Chief of Defence Staff’s military adviser, staff officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, JWO Das, JWO Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, and Lance Naik Sai Teja were among those killed in the crash.
CDS Rawat and his wife’s mortal remains will arrive in the national capital on Thursday evening, and their cremation will take place in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.
