Coonoor, (Tamil Nadu), Dec 9 (UNI) The black box of the ill-fated
IAF helicopter which crashed near here yesterday, snuffing out the
lives of India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife
and 11 others, were found on Thursday morning.
Official sources said the black box were found in the dense forest
area of Nachapurachathiram near the crash site at Katteri.
Senior military officials have taken possession of the black box
which was taken to the Defence Service Staff College in Wellington
and handed over to the officials.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat
and 11 others, draped in National flag, were brought in a flower
bedecked military vehicle and lined up at the college premises for
the dignitaries to pay their last respects.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, senior military officials, Tamil Nadu
Ministers K N Nehru, M P Saminathan and Ramachandran, Chief
Secretary V Irai Anbu and DGP C Sylendra Babu and senior police
officials paid homage to the mortal remains of the chopper victims.
Later, the bodies will be taken to Sulur air base from where they
would be carried in a special IAF aircraft to New Delhi for last rites.
A team of officials from the Tamil Nadu Forensic department
inspected the crash site today morning and collected remnants
from the spot.
The IAF has ordered a high level inquiry into the crash which
took place shortly after it took off from Sulur air base en route
to Wellington.
UNI GV