Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that zero visibility caused by bad weather apparently led the helicopter, operated by private firm Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, to crash between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and catch fire
Debris of helicopter that crashed. PIC/PTI
A helicopter carrying pilgrims from the Kedarnath shrine crashed early Sunday in the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility, killing all seven people on board. It is the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30. The seven deceased in the Bell 407 helicopter crash included a two-year-old child and the pilot. They hailed from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The Civil Aviation Ministry said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the incident, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also ordered a high-level inquiry.
Zero visibility
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that zero visibility caused by bad weather apparently led the helicopter, operated by private firm Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, to crash between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and catch fire.
NDRF and SDRF personnel engage in rescue operations. PIC/PTI
The government has suspended the operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra with immediate. “There were five passengers, one infant and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off from Guptakashi at 05.10 hrs and landed at Shri Kedarnath ji Helipad at 05.18 hrs. The helicopter took off again at 05.19 hrs for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund,” an official statement said. Among the victims was a member of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Vikram Singh Rawat.
Pilot served in army
Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot of the helicopter, had served in the Indian Army for over 15 years and had vast experience in flying missions over different terrains. A resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, Chauhan had been working as a pilot with Aryan Aviation Private Ltd since October 2024. Besides the pilot, a couple and their two-year-old daughter hailing from Yavatmal in Maharashtra were also among those killed in the crash. They were identified as Rajkumar Jaiswal, a transport businessman, his wife Shraddha, and their daughter Kashi, former Wani MLA Vishvas Nandekar told reporters in Yavatmal. Vinood Devi, 66, and Tushti Singh, 19, from Uttar Pradesh were among the victims.
CM Dhami chairs emergency meeting
Chief Minister Dhami chaired an emergency meeting with senior officials soon after the crash and ordered a high-level inquiry into it. He ordered the suspension of helicopter operations on the Chardham Yatra route for two days. “Heli services will remain suspended on Sunday and Monday as the weather is bad and the safety of passengers is the state government’s top priority,” he said.
Those responsible for negligence should be identified and punitive action should be ensured against them, he said. He said that a strict SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) with priority to public safety should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter should be made mandatory.
Weather status should also be checked before heli operations, he said at the meeting. “There should not be any laxity regarding compliance with DGCA norms in helicopter operations in the state. It should also be ensured that the pilots flying in the upper Himalayan region are experienced,” he said.
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