Uttarakhand: In a tragic incident early Sunday morning, a helicopter carrying seven people, including a 23-month-old child, crashed near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, en route to the Kedarnath pilgrimage site. All seven on board were killed. The crash occurred around 5:30 am in the forested area above Gaurimai Khark, reportedly due to poor weather conditions.
The ill-fated helicopter belonged to Aryan Aviation and was part of the Kedarnath yatra shuttle service. The wreckage was spotted by Nepalese-origin women who were cutting grass in the area and alerted local authorities. A video that has gone viral on the internet, shows terrifying scenes of the wreckage after the crash. The chopper is seen completely destroyed after the tragedy.
Trigger warning: Graphic visuals in the video. Viewers' discretion advised.
Details On The Deceased
Among the deceased are a Maharashtra-based family, Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shraddha, and their infant son Kashi, who had come to visit the Kedarnath shrine, reported Amar Ujala. The others killed in the crash include BKTC (Badri-Kedar Temple Committee) employee Vikram Singh Rawat, local resident Vinod Negi, passenger Tushti Singh, and Captain Rajiv, the pilot of the aircraft. Reports indicate that the bodies were badly charred due to the fire caused by the crash.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local administration were immediately dispatched to the scene. Recovery operations are currently underway in difficult terrain.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep grief over the incident. In a social media post, he stated, “Extremely saddened to hear about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag. Rescue and relief teams, including SDRF and local administration, are at the site. I pray to Baba Kedar for everyone’s safety.”
Recent Crashes In Uttarakhand
This is the third helicopter incident in Uttarakhand within the last five weeks. On June 7, a Crystal Aviation helicopter carrying five passengers experienced a technical glitch shortly after takeoff from Badasu helipad and made an emergency landing on the Rudraprayag-Gaurikund highway. The pilot was injured, but all passengers were safe. The helicopter’s tail struck a parked car and nearby shops were also damaged.
Earlier on May 8, another helicopter operated by Aerotrans crashed near Gangnani on the Gangotri National Highway. Of the seven people on board, six were killed on the spot, while one injured passenger was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh. That chopper had taken off from Sahastradhara helipad for Harsil and included pilgrims from Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh.
