Bodies of 6 more chopper crash victims identified

Mortal remains of 5 Army personnel, who died in crash, were consigned to flames

New Delhi: The bodies of six more victims of the IAF chopper crash near Coonoor were identified and the last rites of all but one of them were conducted on Saturday at their native places with appropriate military honour.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and his Defence Adviser Brigadier LS Lidder were among the 13 people killed in the crash on Wednesday.

Gen Rawat, his wife and Brig Lidder were cremated at Delhi’s Brar Square Crematorium Friday evening. Officials said efforts are on to “positively identify” the remaining four bodies kept in the mortuary of the Army Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.

The mortal remains of Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) A Pradeep, Wing Commander P S Chauhan, JWO Rana Pratap Das, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar were consigned to flames while Lance Naik B Sai Teja will be cremated on Sunday.

JWO Pradeep was cremated this evening at the premises of his residence at Ponnukkara village in Kerala’s Thrissur district with his son lighting the pyre. His mortal remains were brought to Sulur airbase in Coimbatore from New Delhi around 11 am and taken to Kerala by road.

Thousands of people gathered on both sides of the National Highway to pay homage to the departed soul. Hundreds paid their last respects to the soldier when his mortal remains were brought to his school in Puthur around 3 pm. —(PTI)