Dehradun: Seven persons, including the pilot are feared dead after a helicopter, on its way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed near Gaurikund. While V Murugeshan, ADG, Law and Order, Uttarakhand, has spoken about the crash, the deaths were confirmed by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department Authority.
The six pilgrims – five adults and a minor – were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The accident accorded around 5.20 am. Villagers, who entered the forest in the morning to collect fodder for their cattle, spotted the wreck and informed authorities.
The helicopter seems to have suffered a technical fault in its 10-minute flight between Kedarnath and Guptkashi. The wreck was located between Gaurikund and Sonprayag, officials said.
The helicopter is said to have belonged to Aryan Aviation. Rescue operations have started. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the incident. He said that the incident occurred near the Rudraprayag district.
“SDRF, local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations,” Dhami posted on X.
This is the fifth accident since the opening of the portals of the Himalayan temple Kedarnath on May 2. Earlier, on June 7, a helicopter on its way to Kedarnath was forced to land on a highway in Uttarakhand as it developed a technical snag during take-off. It came dangerously close to buildings and its tail rotor fell on a parked car. The five pilgrims on board came out safely, while the pilot sustained minor injuries.
In May this year, six people had died and one was injured when a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham from Dehradun crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi. The helicopter was going to the Gangotri Dham of the Char Dham Yatra circuit.
