Sole survivor Varun Singh still in critical condition: IAF

NEW DELHI: Group Captain Varun Singh, the sole survivor of the Mi-17 Coonoor crash in which 13 people including CDS General Bipin Rawat were killed, remains in a critical condition at a military hospital in Bengaluru, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The officer, who sustained severe burn injuries in the December 8 accident, continues to be on life support and is under the supervision of top specialists, an official added.

The chopper was flying from Sulur to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington, where General Rawat was to deliver a talk on Wednesday. It was flown by Wing Commander PS Chauhan, the commanding officer of Sulur-based 109 Helicopter Unit, and his co-pilot Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, who were killed in the crash.

On Thursday, Singh was moved from the Military Hospital at Wellington to the Indian Air Force Command Hospital in Bengaluru, the officials said.

Singh was awarded a Shaurya Chakra for gallantry earlier this year for displaying outstanding courage and presence of mind while handling a rare mid-air emergency involving the light combat aircraft (LCA) he was flying last year.

President Kovind conferred Shaurya Chakra, India’s thirdhighest peacetime gallantry medal, on Singh four months ago. He was a wing commander at that time. On October 12, 2020, he was flying a test sortie in the LCA when an emergency developed due to the failure of cockpit pressurisation at high altitude. This was an unprecedented catastrophic failure that had never occurred.