7 Dead In Chopper Crash Near Kedarnath, 5th Such Incident In 6 Weeks

Seven people were killed as the chopper flying them from the Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi in Uttarakhand crashed in a forest. The seven victims in the Aryan Aviation Helicopter crash included the pilot. During its 10-minute ride, the chopper crashed between Gaurikund and Sonprayag.

The incident occurred early morning, at 5:20, with seven people on board - six pilgrims (five adults and a 23-month-old child) and a pilot, according to a statement issued by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA). All were charred to death.

As the chopper was returning after Kedarnath Dham visit, the weather had deteriorated. The pilot attempted to wear off chopper from the valley but it crashed.

"The weather turned bad during the return journey. The pilot tried to move the chopper out of the valley but it crashed near Gaurikund. Authorities, including NDRF and SDRF are leading the operations," said Rahul Chaubey from the District Tourism Development.

Helicopter services will not run today and tomorrow, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, speaking to the news agency ANI. "These services will remain closed until the safety of the passengers is ensured. Life of every passenger is of utmost importance to us," he said.

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the crash.

Victims Of Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash

One of the passengers was a Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) employee, Vikram Rawat from Ukhimath in Uttarakhand, said Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey.

Among the dead are three members of a Jaiswal family from Maharashtra's Yavatmal - Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, Shraddha Jaiswal and their 23-month-old daughter Kashi Rajkumar Jaiswal. Their son, Vivaan, got saved as he stayed back with his grandfather. 

Jaiswal family of Maharashtra killed in Uttarakhand chopper crash.

The other pilgrims have been identified as 66-year-old Vinod Devi and 19-year-old Trishti Singh, both from Uttar Pradesh.

Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, 39-year-old pilot, a resident of Jaipur also died in the crash.

Locals, who were out to collect fodder for their cattle, spotted the crashed helicopter and informed the officials. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached Gaurikund by 7 am and from there, they began a trek to the incident site and started the rescue operation at 8:55 am. All bodies have been recovered.

Since it is difficult to identify the bodies, a DNA test will be conducted before handing them over to the families, Inspector General Rajiv Swaroop said.

Increase In Helicopter Crashes Calls For Investigation

This is the fifth accident since the portals of the Himalayan temple Kedarnath opened on May 2, leaving 13 dead. Earlier, on June 7, a helicopter on its way to Kedarnath was forced to land on a highway in Uttarakhand after developing a technical snag during take-off. It came dangerously close to buildings, and its tail rotor fell on a parked car. The five pilgrims on board came out safely, while the pilot sustained minor injuries.

Following today's incident, the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued strict instructions regarding helicopter operations and called for stringent standard operating procedure (SOP) for operating helicopter in Uttarakhand, the news agency ANI reported.

"Chief Minister Dhami said that a strict SOP should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter and taking accurate weather information before the flight should be made mandatory," ANI reported.

Mr Dhami has directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee of technical experts, which will prepare the SOP.

As a precautionary measure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already reduced frequency of helicopter operations to Char Dham, is carrying out the enhanced surveillance and reviewing the operation for any further action.

Mr Dhami also called to set up a control and command centre and strict against the culprits in this accident.

Condolences Pour In

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shared the "distressing" news on X (formerly Twitter). "The extremely distressing news of a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district has been received. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations," he wrote.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde shared grief with the Jaiswal family and assured all necessary assistance to the family. “This incident is unfortunate and sorrowful, and instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to provide all necessary assistance to the family. I share in the grief of the Jayswal family, and the government stands firmly with them. I offer my humble tributes to the devotees who lost their lives in this accident,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot extended condolences to the families of those who died in the helicopter crash. In a post on X, Mr Gehlot wrote, “The helicopter crash near Kedarnath, resulting in the death of seven individuals, including Jaipur resident pilot Shri Rajveer Singh Chauhan, is extremely tragic. In this difficult time, my deepest condolences are with the grieving families. May God grant them the strength to bear this shock and provide peace to the souls of the departed. Om Shanti.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also prayed for the passengers. Reacting to another civil aviation tagedy, Ms Banerjee in a post on X wrote, "Most distressingly, another civil aviation tragedy reported today morning, this time from Uttarakhand, in the Kedarnath - Gaurikund - Guptakashi region."

"7 people were on board in the helicopter including a child and the pilot, and there has been a reported crash with worst being feared by media. While we await the results of rescue and search operations, my prayers go out for each one on board," Ms Banerjee wrote.