The Indian Army thanked the locals here who helped in rescue activities after the IAF helicopter carrying the late CDS General Bipin Rawat crashed and resulted in the deaths of 13 of the 14 passengers, as per ET. The Army said the villagers were like 'God' to the victims.?
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 others were killed in the crash on December 8.
"Many of you helped...police and army said that but for the help of the villagers, the 14 could not have been moved to hospital on time.. the Air Force officer is alive and battling (for life at a Bengaluru hospital)... if he is there (alive) you are the reason," he said.?
"So you were like God for those 14. Thank you very much," he added.?
General Officer Commanding Headquarters Dakshin Bharath, Lieutenant General A Arun added that the lone survivor Group Captain Varun Singh was 'battling' for his life and thanked them for their efforts, saying they helped in him being found alive.?
He said that a shed would be made in the village for gatherings and functions.
He also announced the adoption of the village by Headquarters Dakshin Bharath and distributed blankets, ration items and solar emergency lamps.?
The Lieutenant-General thanked the Tamil Nadu government, Chief Minister MK Stalin and secretaries of various departments for their role in the rescue.?
Two people, including General Bipin Rawat and Group Captain Varun Singh, were found alive by the rescuers after the crash of the IAF helicopter in Coonoor, near Ooty in Tamil Nadu, a member of the rescue team has claimed.?
According to NC Murali, a senior fireman who was one of the first to reach the spot where the Mi-17V5 had crashed, General Rawat was alive and was able to communicate when he was found.?
¡°We rescued two people alive. One was CDS Rawat. As we carried him out, he spoke in a low tone to the defence personnel in Hindi and uttered his name," Murali was quoted as saying by The Times of India.?
According to him, General Rawat had suffered severe burns in the lower part of his body. ¡°He was taken to the ambulance wrapped in a bedsheet," Murali said, adding that he died on the way to the hospital.
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