Seven killed in helicopter crash near Gaurikund in Kedarnath
New Delhi: Seven persons, including a pilot, were killed after a helicopter carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi helipad crashed near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand at around 5.20 am on Sunday. This is the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajvir Singh Chauhan (39), who was the pilot and a resident of Jaipur; Vikram Rawat, a representative of Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee and a native of Ukhimath (Uttarakhand); Vinod Devi (66) from UP; Tushti Singh (19) from UP; Rajkumar Jaiswal (49) from Maharashtra; Rajkumar's daughter Shradha Jaiswal (Maharashtra) and Kashi (2). According to the State Disaster Response Force, rough weather is said to be a possible reason for the crash. Soon after receiving the information, teams of SDRF, NDRF and the local police reached the dense forest and started the rescue operation. The teams recovered all the seven bodies.
According to the PIB , an Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter was carrying the pilgrims. Preliminary indications suggest that the probable cause may be the "Controlled Flight Into the Terrain", with the helicopter reportedly airborne despite poor visibility and extensive clouding in the valley entry area. "The exact cause will be determined after a detailed investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau," the release said. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a high-level meeting attended by top officials of the state government, including the secretary, civil aviation department. The state government has decided to suspend the operation of Aryan Aviation with immediate effect. As a safety precaution, all charter and shuttle helicopter operations in the region have been suspended on June 15 and 16.
Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Authority (UCADA) has been directed to hold a comprehensive review with all operators and pilots before any resumption of services, to ensure full alignment with safety protocols. UCADA will also establish a dedicated Command-and-Control room centre to monitor real-time operations and ensure immediate escalation of any risk indicators. Kedarnath shrine has been witnessing a sharp rise in arrival of pilgrims. Pilgrims, who avoid trekking on the Kedarnath route, prefer to go by helicopter. So, there is a high demand for helicopters operating in Kedar valley.
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