No, This Video Doesn't Show the Helicopter Crash That Killed CDS Bipin Rawat

An old video from 2020 is being used to falsely claim that it shows the helicopter crash that killed CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of a helicopter that shows it spiralling and burst in flames is being shared on social media with a claim that it is from the crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others on Wednesday, 8 December in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor.

However, we found that the viral video is from February 2020 when a helicopter belonging to the Syrian Arab Air Force was shot down in Idlib.

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CLAIM

Twitter user 'Sir Don Bradman' shared the video with the text: "Bipin Rawat helicopter crashed in Tamil Nadu video. (sic)"

The video had garnered over one lakh views at the time of writing the article.

An archived version of the video can be viewed here.

(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

Several social media users shared the video on Twitter and Facebook with a similar claim and the archived version of the posts can be viewed here, here, here, and here.

WHAT WE FOUND

On scanning through the replies received on the viral tweet, we found that a user had suggested that the video is from Syria.

A user suggested that the video is from Syria.

(Source: Twitter/ Screenshot)

Taking a cue from here, we searched on Google with relevant keywords and came across an article published in February 2020 that carried the viral visuals and mentioned that it showed a helicopter belonging to the Syrian Arab Air Force.

Journalist Shiv Aroor had also tweeted the viral video on 11 February 2020 with the text, "Horrifying video out today of a Syrian Arab Air Force Mi-17 helicopter shot down in the Idlib province of Syria earlier today".

The Telegraph, too, had uploaded the viral visuals in February 2020 mentioning how a Syrian helicopter was shot down in Idlib.

As per an article published by Associated Press in February 2020, rebels had shot down a Syrian helicopter that led to deaths of its crew members.

"The Syrian helicopter gunship was shot down by insurgents amid fighting near the village of Nairab as rebels, backed by Turkish artillery, tried to retake it after losing it last week, according to opposition activists," the AP report stated.

As per an article published by Associated Press in February 2020, rebels had shot down a Syrian helicopter that led to deaths of its crew members.

(Source: AP/Screenshot)

Clearly, these visuals are from 2020 and show a Syrian helicopter being shot down.

Meanwhile, it's true that an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and staff, as well as other senior officials on-board, crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor after having taken off from Sulur in Nilgiris. The chopper was enroute Wellington base.

The IAF has said that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

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