Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen expressed deep shock and sorrow over the death of Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin C Rawat who was killed along with his wife and 11 others after an Indian Air Force helicopter carrying them crashed near the Coonoor in Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu today.

In a condolence message sent to the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Momen expressed his grief and sorrow over the death of Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others and extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.

Gen Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course.

The Indian Air Force said the helicopter's pilot Group Captain Varun Singh is currently undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Wellington.

Gen Rawat was 63 years old and left behind two daughters.

The Mi-VH17 helicopter crashed in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area in the hilly Nilgiris district and went up in flames.

The helicopter crashed less than 10 minutes after take-off and shortly before it was to have landed at Defence Staff College in Wellington, Indian media reports said.

There were 14 people on board the helicopter, including two senior army officers and his other personal staff. Only one male survived the crash, Nilgiris District Collector SP Amrith said.

The chopper was on its way from Sulur airbase in Coimbatore to National Staff College in nearby Wellington where Rawat, along with Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, was slated to participate in an event later, the sources added.

The IAF said an inquiry has been ordered into the accident.