Kedarnath chopper crash: Infant among 7 killed in tragic accident
This was the fifth chopper crash on the Char Dham route in less than 40 days.
A 23-month-old infant was among the seven pilgrims killed in a chopper crash in Uttarakhand's Gaurikund following their visit to the Kedarnath shrine. The Aryan Aviation chopper took off from the Kedarnath helipad around 5 am and went “missing” after authorities lost contact with it.
Rahul Chaubey, the district tourism officer, told HT that there were seven people on board the helicopter, including the pilot. The officer attributed the crash to bad weather.
"There were seven people on board, including the pilot, five passengers and an infant,” he told HT.
“The chopper was returning from Kedarnath Dham to its base in Guptkashi when it encountered sudden adverse weather conditions in the valley. The pilot attempted to navigate the helicopter out of the valley; however, the aircraft crashed during the effort,” he added.
The chopper caught fire after impact.
Fifth chopper crash
This was the fifth chopper crash on the Char Dham route in less than 40 days.
On June 7, a helicopter with five pilgrims made a crash landing on the Guptkashi–Gaurikund highway in Rudraprayag.
On May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six occupants.
Also read: What may have caused the tragic Kedarnath chopper crash? Officials reveal
Pushkar Singh Dhami reacts
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed grief over the accident.
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"Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in the Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations," he wrote on X.
The incident comes days after an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
