A helicopter going from Dehradun to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand crashed due to bad weather in Gaurikund on Sunday morning, killing all seven people travelling in it. The victims in the plane that took off at 5 am included a 10-year-old child.
The passengers in the helicopter were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In view of relief and rescue, NDRF and SDRF teams have been dispatched to the site of the incident, said Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).
The Uttarakhand ADG Law and Order, Dr V Murugeshan, earlier informed that the helicopter had gone missing between Trijuginarayan and Gaurikund.
Recent Plane Crashes
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.
Preliminary reports suggested a technical malfunction jammed the flight controls, forcing the pilot to attempt a crash-landing. During the landing, the helicopter’s rotor blade snapped off and struck a nearby car. No casualties were reported. The incident caused panic among onlookers, while authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the malfunction.
On June 7, a helicopter going to Kedarnath had to make an emergency landing on the road due to a technical fault soon after take-off, in which the pilot was injured, but the five devotees on board were rescued safely.
On May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Mourns Loss
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami mourned the loss and informed that rescue teams were involved in relief operations. "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. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers," he said in a post on X.