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Kedarnath Helicopter Crash Due to Bad Weather: 7 Dead Including Infant

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Tragedy in Uttarakhand: Kedarnath Bound Helicopter Crash Near Gaurikund, 7 Dead Including Infant

A heart-wrenching incident has once again emerged from Uttarakhand. A helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation, ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed in the Gaurikund-Sonprayag region of Rudraprayag district early Sunday morning due to poor weather conditions. According to PTI, seven people including a pilot, five pilgrims, and a two-year-old child have died in the crash.

The crash occurred around 5:30 AM when the helicopter was returning from Kedarnath. Weather in the valley suddenly deteriorated, leading to the fatal accident. As of now, all helicopter services in the region have been suspended due to ongoing rescue operations.

Local Women Witnessed the Kedarnath Helicopter Crash

District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that Nepalese women who were cutting grass above Gaurikund witnessed the helicopter crash. The helicopter fell in the forest above Gauri Mai Khark. The SDRF team is currently reaching the spot.

Officials Confirm the Kedarnath Helicopter Crash

District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar and Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey confirmed the incident. They stated that the helicopter had gone missing in the early hours, and search operations began immediately. The pilot attempted to navigate the helicopter out of the weather-affected valley but unfortunately failed.

Helicopter Went Missing Before Crash

District Tourism Development Officer and Heli Service Nodal Officer Rahul Chaubey said that early this morning a helicopter was reported missing. Upon receiving the information, investigations and search operations were initiated. As per initial information, an Aryan Aviation helicopter carrying passengers from Shri Kedarnath Dham back to its Guptkashi base encountered bad weather in the valley.

The pilot tried to steer the helicopter out of the valley, but during this effort, the crash occurred. Besides the pilot, the helicopter was carrying five passengers and an infant. NDRF, SDRF, police forces, and local volunteers are all actively engaged in search and rescue operations. Further updates will be provided soon.

Kedarnath Helicopter Crash Passenger Details Released

  • Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan – Pilot, Resident of Jaipur
  • Vikram Rawat – BKTC staff, Resident of Rasi, Ukhimath
  • Vinod Devi, 66 – Resident of Uttar Pradesh
  • Trishti Singh, 19 – Resident of Uttar Pradesh
  • Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, 41 – Resident of Gujarat
  • Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal – Resident of Maharashtra
  • Kashi, 2 years – Infant, Resident of Maharashtra

Investigation Initiated

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will probe the cause of the crash. Preliminary reports point to bad weather as the main reason.

Upon receiving the crash information, SDRF and NDRF teams were immediately dispatched. They have now reached the site and begun relief and rescue work. Since the crash site is in a remote and difficult forest area, the rescue operation remains challenging.

This is the third aviation incident in Kedarnath valley this pilgrimage season, with earlier emergency landings reported. Other incidents have also occurred in Badrinath and Gangotri during the same period.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Expresses Grief

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter):

“Extremely sad news has been received about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, the local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations.

I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the passengers.”

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