Dehradun: Helicopter operations at the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand have resumed, and the tourists have been told to plan their journey according to the weather, according to CEO of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority.
The official, Sonika said that flying in the region has not resumed but will resume once the weather improves.
"Heli operations have resumed today. As the weather is not favourable currently, flying has not resumed yet. But as soon as we get clear weather, flying will resume", Sonika told ANI.
On Sunday morning, seven people, including the pilot of a helicopter died after it crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said.
The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated.
The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequency of helicopter operations at Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure. DGCA is also carrying out enhanced surveillance and operational reviews.
Chief Executive Officer of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department (UCADA), Sonika had stated that helicopter shuttle services in the area had been closed, given the ongoing relief operations and weather conditions in the valley.
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