Uttarakhand: Guard of Honour for 20 bravehearts who died in the chopper crash

Twenty bravehearts, who died in Tuesday's chopper crash while rescuing stranded people in flood-ravaged areas of Uttarakhand, were given a 'guard of honour'-- a ceremonial mark of respect-- by the government today in Dehradun.

Seen here, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde flanked by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh paying tributes to bravehearts who were killed in the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand, at a ceremony in Dehradun.

Seen here are Uttarakhand Chief Vijay Bahuguna (left), Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde (centre) and Army chief General Bikram Singh during the Guard of Honour ceremony in Dehradun today.

The sturdy Russian-made Mi-17V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force had crashed on Tuesday in a narrow valley in the hill state. Bodies of 19 personnel out of the 20 on board the ill-fated chopper, have been recovered.

On board the ill-fated chopper were five IAF personnel, nine from the National Disaster Response Force and six Indo-Tibetan Border Police men.

Speaking to reporters this morning, the Home Minister said more choppers will be sent to Uttarakhand to quicken rescue work.

Over a lakh people have been rescued in the last 13 days since floods and torrential rains ravaged the state and rescuers hope that the weather will allow them to finish operations today.

Nearly 2,500 people are still stuck in Uttarakhand even as the rescue operations are in the final stages. Most of them are stranded in the holy town of Badrinath.