General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep shock over the IAF Mi-17 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu, which claimed the life of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat along with 12 other passengers.
"Extremely disturbed by the news of the Army chopper crash in TN. Praying for the safety of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat ji. Deepest condolences to the families of the victims. May they find strength in this difficult time," Jagan said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the tragedy.
"I am shocked to learn that an Army helicopter carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat ji and 13 others has crashed in Tamil Nadu. My thoughts and prayers are with those were onboard," Chandrababu said in a tweet.
The IAF in the evening said that Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 other people on board the helicopter died in a crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. It said Group Captain Varun Singh with injuries is currently under treatment at a military hospital in Wellington (in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu).
(With PTI Inputs)