KEDARNATH NEWS: A heart attack killed a devotee of Vadodara on the first day of the opening of the gates of Kedarnath. It took the members of the family hours to reach the body down after the death. The son of the deceased has brought serious negligence charges against the administration and the medical team. Hemantbhai, a tour operator based in Vadodara (Trimurti Tours and Adventures) had gone there to pay darshan to his parents.
Heart Attack Death at Kedarnath Sparks Negligence Row
The son, in a viral video said, “My father had a heart attack, and he fell. I phoned 100, the medical staff replied that they would arrive within 5-10 minutes, however, one and a half hours later, no one came. When I lost my hope, I decided to go to the hospital with my father on my shoulder (pitthu), and he was declared dead there.”
On April 19, the whole family had a Kedarnath and Badrinath tour. It is a 70 person tour. Hemantbhai and his parents have taken the tour with his wife. It happened at the time when the father of Hemantbhai died. It is a 13 day trip. The trip will go on and Hemantbhai will go back to Vadodara with his family.
Tragic news from the Kedarnath Yatra as a 69-year-old devotee, Dilip Bhai Manu Mali, passed away on the opening day of the pilgrimage.
The incident has sparked serious concerns regarding:
> Emergency Response: Allegations of a 90-minute delay in medical assistance.
— Divya Gandotra Tandon (@divya_gandotra) April 23, 2026
‘Body of my father was in the sun on the helipad for 2 hours’
Ankur added, “The body of my father was in the sun on the helipad for 2 hours. The administration says to walk. It will require 5-6 hours to walk it, what will be the state of the body? Why not have the CM fetch the body of a dead devotee, in case he can have a helicopter to come and go?
DM sir saying to speak to DGCA. It was agreed last year to bring down the body and why was the rule changed this year? Is there not a way to the dead? Ankur informed Bhaskar that the administration of Rudraprayag has not offered any support.
Kedarnath Yatra 2026 Under Scrutiny?
Additionally, money is being asked from the relatives. DM of Rudraprayag district Vishal Mishra had provided an ambulance number who was demanding 16,000 rupees to take them to Delhi airport. At present, they are at Rudraprayag hospital.
CEO of UCADA says that for whatever medical assistance, it is the complete responsibility of the local administration to provide everything. According to him, regarding the matter of family having waited for hours at Kedarnath helipad, nothing had been communicated earlier in control room about such a case existing at the helipad. It was only after he got the message from Director General Banshidhar Tiwari at around 12 o’clock that helicopter service was provided within ten to fifteen minutes, and the body of the old man was taken down.
