ICG commandant laid to rest

Hundreds of people from Kandiyoor, Mavelikara, and surrounding areas bid a tearful adieu to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) pilot Vipin Babu on Wednesday. A senior deputy commandant in the ICG, Vipin, 39, died in a helicopter crash during a rescue mission off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat earlier this week. He was laid to rest with military honours. Mr. Vipin and three others were on a medical evacuation mission for a seriously injured crew onboard the Indian-flagged Motor Tanker Hari Leela, about 45 km off the coast. The copter lost control and crashed into the sea on Monday night. He is survived by his wife Shilpa, a military nurse, and son Zenith.