A helicopter crashed near Gaurikund, close to Kedarnath, at around 5:20 AM on Sunday morning. All seven people on board, including the pilot, lost their lives. Among the deceased was a 2-year-old child from Maharashtra.
The helicopter had taken off from the Kedarnath temple, carrying pilgrims to Gaurikund. Initial reports suggest that poor weather conditions were the cause of the crash. The helicopter belonged to Aryan Aviation Company.
Meanwhile, helicopter services for the Char Dham Yatra have been suspended. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that stricter regulations will be implemented for operating helicopter services. These will include mandatory checks of the helicopter’s technical condition and accurate weather assessments before every flight.
Elsewhere, debris and rocks fell into a gorge near Junglechatti, damaging the route to Shri Baba Kedarnath Dham. One person died as a result. Following this, the route from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham has been suspended until further notice.
Pilgrims traveling on foot—including those who had already begun their journey to Kedarnath Dham before the road was damaged—are being provided with enhanced safety and protection.
Information about those who lost their lives in the helicopter crash:
- Pilot Rajveer Singh (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
- Vikram Singh Rawat (Ukhimath, Uttarakhand)
- Vinod Devi (Uttar Pradesh)
- Trishti Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
- Rajkumar Suresh (Gujarat)
- Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal (Maharashtra)
- Kashi (Maharashtra)
There were 2 passengers each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and 1 each from Uttarakhand and Gujarat on board the helicopter. The pilot, Rajveer Singh Chauhan, was a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Rescue teams from NDRF and SDRF have been dispatched from Gaurikund.
Inspector General (IG) of Garhwal, Rajeev Swaroop, stated that due to burns from the fire, identifying the bodies has become difficult. DNA tests will be conducted, and only after that will the bodies be handed over to the families.
CM Dhami says: Relief and rescue operations underway
Regarding the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Received the tragic news of a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I pray for the safety of all passengers.”
Foot pilgrimage also suspended after air services
Due to debris and falling rocks near Junglechatti, the route to Kedarnath Dham has been damaged. Following this, the administration has closed the route from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham until further notice.
As a result, the Kedarnath foot pilgrimage has been suspended until further orders. Rudraprayag police have appealed to pilgrims to move to nearby safe locations wherever they are.