New Delhi: The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 others will be brought to Delhi by Thursday evening and the last rites will be performed with full military honours, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.

"The last rites of CDS General Bipin Rawat will be performed with full military honours. The last rites of other military personnel will be performed with appropriate military honour," Singh told the Lok Sabha.

Informing about the timeline of the fatal crash, the Defence Minister said that the IAF chopper lost contact with the Sulur base control room at around 12.08 pm, after it took off at 11.48 am.

"CDS General Bipin Rawat was on a scheduled visit to Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course. IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter took off from Sulur airbase at 11.48 am. The helicopter was to land at Wellington at 12.15 pm. At around 12.08 pm, the helicopter lost contact with Sulur airbase's air traffic control room," he said.

He further said Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the accident and the investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh.

"The inquiry team reached Wellington yesterday itself and started the investigation," the minister said.
A total of 14 people were on-board the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed near Coonoor on Wednesday killing of 13 people including General Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

"Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington. All efforts are being made to save his life," said Rajnath.

Those who died in the crash include General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

"Their names are Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B Sai Teja," Rajnath informed.

Soon after the news of the chopper crash on Wednesday, the minister visited General Rawat's residence in the national capital.