Chennai: Medical teams from Coimbatore have been rushed to the nearby Nilgiris hill station where an IAF Mi 17 V5 carrying Chief of Defence StaffGeneral Bipin Rawat, his wife and 12 others crashed this afternoon.The fate of General Rawat remained unknown more than three hours of the accident. Some bodies have been recovered from the spot and efforts are on to trace some others, sources said.
Hospitalsin Coimbatore have also been kept on standby, Tamil Nadu HealthSecretary J Radhakrishnan said in Chennai.
Sources said four persons, who were rescued from the crash site with severe burn injuries, have been admitted to the Government Hospital in Ooty.If required they would be rushed to Coimbatore for intensive treatment.
GeneralRawat had arrived at the IAF Sulur base from Delhi and after a brief halt boarded the ill-fated chopper to head to the Defence StaffCollege in Wellington in Coonoor.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin is rushing to Coonoor by an evening flight.
