The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 defence personnel, who were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor on Wednesday, were taken to Sulul airbase from Madras Regimental Centre in Nilgiri district.
Video clips shared on Twitter by news agency ANI showed local people showering flower petals at the ambulances carrying the bodies.
Rawat was travelling to the Defence Staff College in Wellington from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore when the Mi-17V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force crashed near Coonoor.
There were 14 people on board the ill-fated chopper. Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently on life support in Military Hospital, Wellington.
Gen Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course.
The mortal remains of the CDS and others will be taken to Delhi in the evening in a special military plane. The Army said appropriate military rites of all personnel will be ensured in consultation with close relatives once the process of positive identification is completed.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are expected to pay tribute to the deceased at the Palam Technical Area in the evening. The funeral will be held in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.
