7 dead as helicopter, taking devotees from Kedarnath, crashes near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand
Kedarnath Helicopter crash: The official said there were six to seven people on board the helicopter.
Seven people died after a helicopter travelling from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi crashed after going missing in Gaurikund, Uttarakhand, on Sunday, an official said.
The mishap happened around 5:20 am on Sunday. According to the information, “The helicopter took off from Guptakashi at 05:10 am and landed at Shri Kedarnath ji Helipad at 05:18 am. Helicopter took off again at 05:19 am for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund.”
Inspector General Garhwal Rajiv Swaroop said the helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation Guptkashi, had taken off for Gaurikund after taking devotees to Kedarnath.
The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said, "Today, at around 5:20 am, a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has been reported to have crashed near Gaurikund."
“District police informed about the crash. Teams are on their way,” sources in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.
Who were onboard?
NDRF sources said seven people were onboard the helicopter. They included “Rajveer, the pilot, Vikram Rawat, a resident of BKTC, Rasi Ukhimath, Vinod, Trist Singh, Rajkumar, Shraddha and Rashi, a girl aged 10 years.”
Officials told news agency PTI that seven people were killed in the incident.
“We received the information today morning that a helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation Guptkashi, has crashed while returning from Kedarnath due to bad weather, in which five pilgrims, one child and one pilot were on board. Rescue operation is underway,” Rahul Choubey, District Tourism Officer, Rudraprayag said.
Uttarakhand CM expresses grief
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident.
He posted on X, “Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district.”
He said the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
"I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers," Dhami said.
The incident was reported around eight days after a helicopter carrying five devotees en route to Kedarnath Dham made an emergency landing on a national highway near Bharasu in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district.
The incident happened on June 7.
According to officials, the chopper — an AW119 operated by Kestrel Aviation Private Limited — developed a sudden technical fault during takeoff, prompting the pilot to carry out a hard but controlled landing on the nearby road.
"All five passengers on board were evacuated safely without injuries. The pilot, however, sustained minor back injuries during the hard landing and was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.