Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash, was still alive after the crash. He also mentioned his name in Hindi as he was being pulled out of a Mi-17V5 helicopter after the accident. This information was given by a member of the rescue squad. Along with General Rawat, another person was also taken out. He was later identified as Group Captain Varun Singh. The group captain is the only one who survived the accident. He is undergoing treatment.
"We rescued two people alive," said NC Murali, a senior fireman and rescue worker who arrived at the scene after the crash. One of them was CDS Rawat. "As soon as we took him out, he spoke to the defense personnel in a very soft voice in Hindi and mentioned his name," Murali said. He died on the way to the hospital. According to Murali, he did not immediately recognize the other person. Who is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Murali said, "General Rawat said that his lower body was seriously injured. He was then wrapped in a sheet and taken to the hospital by ambulance." This time, the rescue squad had to face major difficulties during the rescue operation in the area. There was no way to get a fire truck to put out the fire. "We had to fetch water from a nearby river and from houses," said Murali. The operation was very difficult, as they had to disassemble the helicopter first to rescue people or to retrieve the bodies.
Murali said a broken tree was a major obstacle in the rescue operation. It had to be cut. All of this delayed our rescue operation. We exhumed 12 bodies. While two were brought out alive. Both were severely burned. Indian Air Force personnel later joined the rescue operation halfway through. He led the team to the scene. A senior firefighter said there were weapons in the piles. This forced us to act cautiously.