BENGALURU: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is bringing the coffins of six defence personnel killed in the Mi17V5 helicopter crash, that also claimed the life of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his wife, to the nearest air airports to their homes on Saturday.
The six defence personnel, whose bodies have been identified are Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) Pradeep, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, JWO Rana Pratap Das, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh.
The mortal remains of Lance Naik Sai Teja will arrive at the Yelahanka air base at 12.30 pm and will be taken to Command Hospital on old Airport Road in Bengaluru.
"The body is being flown in from the Sulur air base. It will be taken to his hometown Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in an ambulance on Sunday morning," said sources. Teja is survived by his wife Symala and two minor children. He had joined the Army in a recruitment drive in Guntur in 2012 and was appointed Personal Security Officer (PSO) to Gen Rawat early this year.
The Mi17V5 crash is one of the worst military crashes in the recent history of the country. Thirteen lives were lost in the tragic chopper crash in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the condition of Group Captain Varun Singh, the sole survivor of the crash, continues to be critical but stable.
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