Video shows AIIMS Sanjeevani heli ambulance crash landing in Kedarnath
A heli ambulance from AIIMS, Rishikesh, on its way to Kedarnath to airlift an ailing pilgrim, crash-landed on Saturday in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, with the crash getting caught on camera and going viral on social media.
The crash landing of the 'Sanjeevani' heli ambulance happened just a few metres below the helipad at the Himalayan temple. According to a PTI report, the heli ambulance nose-dived towards the helipad but ended up landing heavily on a flat surface a short distance away.
The heli ambulance had a pilot and two doctors onboard to attend to the patient. All three escaped the incident unhurt.
The videos going viral on social media show the heli ambulance twisting briefly anti-clockwise after crash landing. Such a landing resulted in its tail rotor breaking. Here is the video:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, administration said in a statement that the heli ambulance crash landing incident occurred at around 11 am on Saturday. According to the statement, everyone on board the aircraft is safe.
'The Sanjeevani heli ambulance had gone from AIIMS, Rishikesh to Kedarnath to rescue Shree Devi, a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress, when it developed a technical snag,' the Rudraprayag district tourism development officer Rahul Choubey told news agency PTI.
According to the officer's statement, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the crash landing incident.
The official also informed the media that the heli ambulance developed a technical fault before landing on the main helipad of Kedarnath. The pilot realised that there was a snag in the nick of time and thought it best to land on a flat surface just before the helipad. However, he added, the helicopter's tail rotor broke while landing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
4 hours ago
- The Print
Padmanabhaswamy Temple performs rare ‘Maha Kumbhabhishekam' after 270 years
Dedication of 'thazhikakudams', (the three domes above the sanctum sanctorum), the reinstallation of the Vishwaksena idol, and the 'Ashtabandha Kalasam' at the Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple (located within the main shrine complex) were held in the morning, temple sources said. This grand consecration took place following the recent completion of long-overdue renovation work at this ancient temple. Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 1 (PTI) Hundreds of devotees on Sunday thronged the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala to witness Maha Kumbhabhishekam held at the shrine after 270 years. 'The rituals were performed by priests during the auspicious time between 7.40 am to 8.40 am on Sunday,' they said. The rituals began after Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the present head of the Travancore royal family, offered prayers at the shrine. In the presence of Varma and other royal family members, the tantri (head priest) first carried out the 'Ashtabandha Kalasam' at the Thiruvambady Temple. Later, the reinstallation of the Vishwaksena idol was held by 8.00 am, temple sources said. The Vishwaksena idol, renovated and reinstalled now, is about 300 years old and was built in 'katu sarkara yogam', a traditional method involving a unique combination of materials to create idols. After that reinstallation, the tantries and priests, accompanied by the royal family head, moved as a procession for the dedication of the domes as devotees chanted 'narayana' mantras. Temple authorities made elaborate arrangements including the setting up of video walls on all the four entrances of the shrine for devotees to catch a glimpse of the rare ritual. Long queues of devotees could be seen since early morning at the temple entrances. Kerala Governor Vishwanath Rajendra Arlekar was present at the shrine to witness the rare ritual throughout, they added. Various rituals, including Acharya Varanam, Prasada Shuddhi, Dhara, Kalasam, and others, were held at the shrine in various days in the last week ahead of the 'Maha Kumbhabhishekam'. Temple authorities said that the objective of the Maha Kumbhabhishekam is to reinforce spiritual energy and reawaken the sanctity of the shrine. Such a comprehensive renovation and the accompanying rituals were held at the centuries-old shrine after a gap of over 270 years, and it is unlikely to occur again in the next several decades, they said. The renovation had been carried out as per the directive of the Supreme Court-appointed expert panel in 2017. Though the work began soon after, it could not progress much further due to the COVID situation, they said. Later, various renovation works were completed in a phased manner from 2021 onwards, they added. The name of Kerala capital is closely tied to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, where Lord Vishnu is enshrined in a reclining posture on serpent God 'Anantha'. The city grew around this temple and took its name from the deity worshipped there. PTI LGK ADB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Today
10 hours ago
- India Today
How Eid al-Adha was celebrated across countries
On Eid al-Adha, Muslims across the world gathered at mosques to pray, and performed ritualistic sacrifices. There is a reason why sacrifice or qurbani forms an important part of Eid al-Adha or Eid Eid is marked in honour of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God's command. However, before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, God provided him a lamb to sacrifice each country, the festival took on a distinct tone, marked by rituals, traditions, and street scenes. Here's a story in pictures that reveals how the celebrations were different across countries. People participate in a special morning prayer around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on June 6, to mark the start of the Eid al-Adha festival. (AFP Image) advertisement Fireworks light up the sky in the Qatari capital Doha during celebrations to mark the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on June 6. (AFP Image) Emiratis exchange wishes after Eid al-Adha morning prayers at Dubai's main mosque. (AFP Image) People offer namaaz at Shahi Masjid inside the Taj Mahal complex, in Agra, on Saturday. (PTI Image) People in Srinagar shop at a market on the eve of Eid al-Adha. (PTI Image) People in Jaipur offer namaaz near the Idgah Mosque on Delhi-Jaipur Highway, in Rajasthan on Saturday. (PTI Image) People in Mumbai offer naamaz outside the Bandra Railway station on Saturday. (PTI Image) People offer namaaz at Kolkata's Indira Gandhi Sarani, formerly known as Red Road, in West Bengal, on Saturday. (PTI Image) Young women in Chennai pose for a selfie after offering naamaz on the occasion of Eid al-Adha in Tamil Nadu, on Saturday. (PTI Image) People in Maharashtra's Satara take part in a street procession on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. (PTI Image) Bangladeshis board a train at a railway station in Dhaka, as they travel to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Adha with their families. (AFP Image) Men in Lahore transport goats on motorbikes after buying them for sacrificing on Eid al-Adha. (AFP Image) Butchers tie the legs of camels before sacrifice during the Eid al-Adha in Pakistan's Peshawar on Saturday. (AFP Image) People in Lahore sacrifice animals during the celebrations of Eid al-Adha on Saturday. In several places across the subcontinent, the public sacrifice of animals creates a civic nightmare. (AFP Image)
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
THE WOMAN WHO CLIMBED DARKNESS
Logo: Times Specials Kullu: On the morning of May 19, as dawn lit up the Himalayas, Chhonzin Angmo stood on the summit of Mount Everest. There was no sweeping panorama for her. No view. No photograph. Just a blur of wind, cold, breathlessness — and tears. "I couldn't see anything," Angmo said. "But I could feel it. I was standing on the top of the world. That moment was unbelievable." In that moment, the 29-year-old from Himachal Pradesh, India, became the first visually impaired woman ever to summit Everest, and only the fifth person in history without sight to reach the peak. She had made it. Not despite her blindness — but through it. From the valley to the void Angmo was born in Chango, a remote Himalayan village sitting almost 3,000 metres above sea level, on the edge of the Spiti valley. She had perfect vision as a child, playing in the apple orchards and walking to school like any other. But one day, at the age of eight, something changed. "It was during her school examinations," said her older brother, Gopal. "The teacher noticed her handwriting had started slanting on the page. She said she couldn't see." Within days, Angmo was blind. Her family travelled hundreds of kilometres to doctors in Rampur, then to Delhi, Chandigarh and Patiala — but the cause was never identified, and the treatments never worked. The young girl spent years at home in silence. But silence never suited her. "She had this fire," said Tashi Dolma, the village head of Chango and a former schoolmate. "She was never going to accept being left behind. " Learning to move forward Angmo was enrolled eventually in the Mahabodhi Residential School for the visually impaired in Leh, Ladakh — more than 1,000 km from home. There, she learned Braille. She graduated. Then she left the mountains for Delhi, where she studied at Miranda House, one of India's top colleges for women. There, the mountains called her back. And this time, she answered in a way no one expected. Angmo took up adventure sport. She paraglided in Bir-Billing. She bicycled from Manali to Khardung La. She swam, ran marathons, played judo, scaled the Siachen Glacier, and summited Kang Yatse II and Kanamo Peak. She worked her way up to 20,000-foot climbs — blind. "After I lost my eyesight, Everest became my obsession," she said. "People tried to scare me. They said I'd die. But every time they said it, I became more determined." The final ascent Mount Everest is more than a climb. For Indian climbers, a guided expedition can cost upwards of ₹50 lakh. For a blind woman from a remote village, it's nearly impossible. Angmo knocked on many doors. Eventually, her employer —Union Bank of India — agreed to sponsor her expedition. She left Delhi on April 6. After flying to Lukla, she trekked to Everest Base Camp by April 18. For the next 26 days, she trained and acclimatised under the guidance of military veteran Romil Barthwal and two Sherpa guides, Dundu Sherpa and Gurung Maila. On May 15, the summit push began. Her biggest fear? Not altitude. Not fatigue. Crevasses. "I was terrified of the ladders. I couldn't walk across them, so I sat on them and crawled across on my hands," she said. Between Base Camp and Camp 4, she relied on trekking poles and the subtle shifts in body movements of climbers ahead to navigate. At times, she memorised terrain from a previous trek to Base Camp a year earlier. On May 18, she reached Camp 4. That night, at 7 pm, the team made their summit push. Top of the world Above 8,000 m lies the Death Zone, where oxygen is scarce and each step can take a minute. Angmo moved slowly, focusing on her breathing, her footing, her purpose. "At that altitude, every step hurts. I just kept repeating in my head: I'm not doing this just for me. I'm doing it for everyone who's ever been told they can't." By 8.30 am the next morning, she was there — at 8,849 m. The world's highest point. She couldn't see it. But she knew. "The wind was fierce. My Sherpas were telling me about the peaks below. I couldn't hold back my tears." Back to reality, eyes still shut—but wide open Today, Angmo lives alone in Delhi. She takes the metro to work, cooks her own meals, visits friends. But her story is far from over. "Everest isn't the end. It's the beginning," she said. "Next, I want to climb the Seven Summits." Her story adds a new chapter to global mountaineering history — and a proud page to India's. Graphic Blind Faith, High Point: Scaling the Invisible box1 Chhonzin Angmo's Road to Summit >> April 6 | Departs Delhi >> April 10 | Begins Everest Base Camp trek from Lukla >> April 18 | Reaches base camp; starts 26-day acclimatisation >> May 15 | Reaches Camp 1 >> May 16-18 | Climbs through Camps 2 to 4 >> May 19, 8.30 am | Reaches the summit of Mount Everest box 2 The famous 5: Everest's Sightless Pioneers >> Erik Weihenmayer (US) | First blind person to summit Everest (2001); completed Seven Summits >> Andy Holzer (Austria) | Summited Everest in 2017 via Tibet >> Zhang Hong (China) | First blind Asian climber to summit (2021) >> Lonnie Bedwell (US) | Blind Navy veteran summited in 2023 >> Chhonzin Angmo (India) | First blind woman to summit Everest (2025) box3 No Legs, But What A Feat! Other Indian physically challenged mountaineers:- >> Arunima Sinha | Second amputee in the world to summit Everest (2013) >> Chitrasen Sahu | Double amputee (called Half Human Robo); climbed Mt Elbrus and Kilimanjaro >> Uday Kumar | Amputee climber; scaled Kilimanjaro and Mt Rhenock >> Tinkesh Kaushik | First triple amputee to reach Everest base camp box 4 "To climb Everest, you don't just need strength. You need a reason," Angmo said. She found hers in the dark. And she carried it all the way to the top of the world. MSID:: 121547482 413 |
