Helicopter carrying Indian military chief crashes; 13 dead

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and ASHOK SHARMA
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — An official says a helicopter carrying India’s military chief has crashed in southern Tamil Nadu state, killing 13 of the 14 people on board. Chief of Defense Staff Bipin Rawat’s condition was not immediately announced. The senior civil administrator of the area where the crash took place says rescuers were able to save one male passenger, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. India’s defense minister was expected to make a statement soon to Parliament. Rawat is the most senior official in the Indian military. Television images from the crash site showed plumes of smoke billowing from the debris as local residents tried to put out the fire and remove bodies from the wreckage.