Budgam Crash: Wing Commander Siddharth Vashisth’s Mortal Remains Brought To His Residence

The mortal remains of Wing Commander Siddharth Vashisth, who lost his life in a Mi-17 helicopter crash near Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, was brought to his residence in Chandigarh on Thursday (28 February).

Vashishth was among the six air warriors who died after a Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on 27 February, ANI has reported.

The 31-year-old wing commander had received a commendation on 26 January for his exceptional contributions towards the rescue operations during the floods in Kerala, One India has reported.

According to the One India report, Vashisth was youngest of the four siblings and last visited his family for two hours on 18 February. He was commissioned to the IAF in 2010 and in 2014 married Aarti, who is also an IAF officer posted in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a Ministry of Defence statement, a Mi-17 V5 helicopter of the IAF got airborne on 27 February from Srinagar airfield at 10am for a routine mission but crashed around 10.10 am near Budgam. All six warriors on board the helicopter suffered fatal injuries, said the statement. A court of inquiry has been ordered by the ministry to investigate the accident.