A helicopter carrying seven people, including the pilot, crashed on Sunday morning while flying from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed. The incident occurred around 5:20 a.m. near Gaurikund, a heavily forested and mountainous area in Rudraprayag district.
Rescue Teams Rushed to the Kedarnath Helicopter Crash Spot
Following the crash, multiple emergency units, including the police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were immediately deployed to the site. The terrain posed significant challenges to the teams due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the area.
Inspector General (Garhwal Range) Rajiv Swaroop confirmed, “The site of the crash is a very remote area,” underscoring the difficulties faced during the ongoing rescue operations.
Poor Visibility Cited as Likely Cause of Kedarnath Helicopter Crash
While the exact cause of the crash is yet to be officially determined, authorities believe poor weather conditions may have played a key role. Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar stated that the helicopter went down “above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility due to bad weather.”
Sources added that the helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in the Kedarghati region and subsequently caught fire.
Also Read: Delhi Weather Update: Rain Brings Relief From Heatwave, IMD Predicts Thunderstorm And Gusty Winds
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Responds
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his sorrow over the tragic incident in a post on social media platform X. “Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations,” he wrote.
The Chief Minister also conveyed his concern for the passengers aboard the aircraft. “My prayers are for the safety of all travellers,” he added.
All Seven on Kedarnath Helicopter Confirmed Dead
Inspector Anirudh Bhandari of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) confirmed that all seven people aboard the helicopter had died in the crash. “All seven people on board in chopper are dead,” he said.
The deceased were identified as Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan (pilot), Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), Shradha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35), and their 23-month-old child Kashi — all residents of Maharashtra. The others included Vikram (46), a resident of Rudraprayag, and Vinod Dev (66) and Tusti Singh (29), both from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
Adverse Weather May Have Led to Crash
District tourism officer Rahul Chaubey, who also serves as the nodal officer for helicopter services in Rudraprayag, stated that the helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, had gone missing earlier in the day. “We received information about the missing helicopter earlier this morning. A search operation was launched to trace it,” he said.
According to Chaubey, the chopper was returning from Kedarnath Dham to its base in Guptkashi when it encountered sudden adverse weather conditions in the valley. The pilot made efforts to steer the helicopter out of the dangerous zone, but the aircraft crashed during the attempt.
Fifth Incident in Less Than 40 Days on Char Dham Route
This marks the fifth helicopter-related incident on the Char Dham pilgrimage route in less than 40 days. Just days earlier, on June 7, another helicopter carrying five pilgrims crash-landed on the Guptkashi-Gaurikund highway near Barasu in Rudraprayag district. That incident occurred around 1 p.m. Fortunately, there were no casualties, though the pilot sustained minor injuries.
Also Read: Kedarnath Helicopter Crash: 7 Feared Dead As Chopper Crashes Between Gaurikund And Sonprayag
