Couple, 2-Year-Old Daughter Die In Kedarnath Chopper Crash, Son Survives After Staying Behind
The couple's son, Vivaan, survived the tragedy as he had stayed back with his grandfather in Pandharkawda and did not accompany the family on the trip.
A family from Maharashtra's Yavatmal died after a helicopter returning from Kedarnath crashed in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on Sunday. The helicopter was en route to Guptkashi.
The couple and their two-year-old daughter from the Jaiswal community in Wani have been identified as Rajkumar Jaiswal, Shraddha Jaiswal, and Kashi Rajkumar Jaiswal.
The couple's son, Vivaan, survived the tragedy as he had stayed back with his grandfather in Pandharkawda and did not accompany the family on the trip.
Meanwhile, Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot who died in the incident, was the father of twins born just two months ago, officials said.
A resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, Chauhan had served in the Indian Army for over 15 years and had vast experience of flying missions over different terrains.
Kedarnath Chopper Crash
Uttarakhand witnessed at least six helicopter crashes on the Char Dham route within a span of nearly 40 days. This includes the Sunday chopper crash killed seven people.
Seven people, five adults, one infant, and one pilot died in the incident when the chopper took off from Guptkashi at 05:10 am and landed at Shri Kedarnath Ji helipad at 05:18 am. The helicopter took off again at 5:19 am for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund.
The helicopter, with six pilgrims (five adults and a child) and a pilot, died in the incident when the chopper took off from Guptkashi at 05:10 am and landed at Shri Kedarnath Ji helipad at 05:18 am. The helicopter took off again at 5:19 am when it crashed in a forest between Gaurikund and Sonprayag.
The pilgrims killed during the 10-minute ride were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The visuals showed the wreckage of the helicopter in flames in an open field. The crash occurred between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan while returning from the shrine.
According to officials, the chopper belonged to Aryan Aviation. The officials believe bad weather may be the cause of the tragic incident.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed anguish over the chopper crash and said that the SDRF and other rescue teams have been put to the rescue operation.
'Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. 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," he posted on X.
In the wake of the crash, Dhami has issued strict instructions for helicopter operations in the state.
The chief minister said a strict SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter should be made mandatory. Weather status should also be checked before heli operations.
The chief secretary has been directed to constitute a committee of technical experts, which will prepare the SOP after thoroughly reviewing all technical and safety aspects of heli operations.
The incident comes days after tragic Air India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad after it took off for London. 241 people, including the cabin crew, died in the crash on June 12. There was merely one survivor in the incident, a British national.
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 12:50 IST
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