India on Friday bid an emotional farewell to the country's first military chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other armed forces personnel who died in a chopper crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. In Delhi, the 63-year-old Chief of Defence Staff and his wife Madhulika were cremated with full military honours this evening, as political leaders cutting across party lines, senior Indian defence officials as well as top military commanders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal thronged the Brar Square crematorium to pay silent tribute to the departed souls. Read: India orders tri-services probe into military chief's chopper crash The bodies of General Rawat and his wife were laid side by side on the same funeral pyre that was lit by their two daughters, Kritika and Tarin, as per Hindu tradition. Some 800 Indian defence personnel witnessed the funeral, which was telecast live on all Indian channels. The bodies of the 13 chopper crash victims were brought to the Indian capital on Thursday night on a special Air Force transport aircraft. After the plane landed at Palam airport, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top military officials paid tributes to the departed souls in a brief ceremony. General Rawat, a four-star General, was on his way to deliver a lecture at Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the Mi-17 V5 chopper crashed in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor district and burst into flames around noon on Wednesday. Of a total of 14 people on board the ill-fated chopper, 13 were charred to death. Read:India's first military chief among 13 dead in chopper crash The lone survivor of the crash -- senior Air Force officer Group Captain Varun Singh -- was on Thursday evening airlifted to a state-of-the-art military hospital in the neighbouring state of Karnataka's capital Bengaluru from a medical facility in Wellington. The Indian government on Thursday only ordered a tri-services probe -- an investigation by the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force -- into the chopper crash. "The investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command)," the Defense Minister told the Indian Parliament. General Rawat has had a chequered career in the armed forces spanning over 40 years, rising from the rank of a junior commissioned officer to the Indian Army chief and eventually the first head of the tri-services. He reported directly to the Indian Prime Minister.

India on Thursday ordered a tri-services probe into Wednesday's chopper crash that claimed the lives of the country's first military chief, General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 other armed forces personnel. Tri-services probe means an investigation by the three branches of the military -- the Indian Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. “The Indian Air Force has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the military chopper crash. The investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command)," Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told the Parliament. Read: India's first military chief among 13 dead in chopper crash Meanwhile, the lone survivor of the crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu -- senior Air Force officer Group Captain Varun Singh -- was airlifted to a state-of-the-art military hospital in the neighbouring state of Karnataka's capital Bengaluru from a medical facility. "Group Captain Singh is on life support and all efforts are being made to save him," the Defence Minister said.  The 63-year-old Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to deliver a lecture at Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the Mi-17 V5 chopper crashed in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor district and burst into flames on Wednesday noon. Read: FM shocked at India's military chief's death in chopper crash "With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat (wife) and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident," the Air Force tweeted last evening after day-long DNA tests confirmed the identities of the bodies. Moments later, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, the supreme commander of the armed forces, tweeted to say that "the nation has lost one of its bravest sons". Prime Minister Modi, on his part, described the four-star General as "an outstanding soldier". General Rawat has had a chequered career in the armed forces spanning over 40 years, rising from the rank of a junior commissioned officer to the Indian Army chief and eventually the first head of the tri-services. He reported directly to the Indian Prime Minister.

India's first military chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other armed forces personnel were killed in a chopper crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The 63-year-old decorated Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on his way to deliver a lecture at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the ill-fated Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed just before landing around 11.45am in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in the state's Coonoor district and burst into flames. A senior Air Force officer accompanying the four-star General survived the fatal crash but sustained severe burn injuries. He has been identified as Group Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington. Read: India's military chief feared dead in chopper crash

India's military chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife and at least five other senior Army officers are feared killed in a chopper crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu Wednesday. The 63-year-old four-star General is India's first and current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).  "An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the Indian Air Force tweeted. Also read: Resistance leader’s death deepens Kashmir strife A total of 14 people were reportedly on board the helicopter of General Rawat, which crashed in the hilly terrain of the Nilgiris in Coonoor district. Also read: Pakistan army helicopter crashes in Kashmir; 2 pilots killed Rescue operations are currently underway, military sources told the local media.  

A helicopter carrying the Philippine national police chief and seven other people crashed after hitting a power cable on takeoff Thursday, critically injuring two other generals on board.

A helicopter carrying the Philippine national police chief, two other generals and five other people crashed Thursday, injuring those on board, officials said.