A tragic helicopter crash near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district claimed seven lives early Sunday morning, including that of a child and the pilot. The chopper, carrying Char Dham Yatra pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, lost contact shortly after takeoff around 5:20 am, according to officials.
Nilesh Bharne, IG (Law and Order), confirmed that the aircraft went missing shortly after departure and was later found crashed at Gauri Mai Khark, an uphill area approximately 5 km from Gaurikund. “The cause of the crash is still under investigation,” Bharne added.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan from Jaipur, Vikram Rawat from Ukhimath (Uttarakhand), Vinod Devi and Trishti Singh from Uttar Pradesh, and Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal, along with two-year-old Kashi from Maharashtra.
According to a statement issued by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter belonged to Aryan Aviation and was a BELL 407 model. The crash occurred under unclear circumstances, and initial reports confirmed that all seven on board perished.
Rescue operations are underway, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed to the accident site. UCADA CEO Sonika stated that a probe team has been sent to determine the cause of the accident.
District Tourism Development Officer Rahul Choubey indicated that inclement weather might have played a role in the crash. “The pilot had attempted to navigate the aircraft outside the valley due to poor visibility,” he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed condolences and assured all necessary relief efforts are being undertaken. “The SDRF, local administration, and rescue teams are actively working at the site. I pray to Baba Kedar for everyone’s safety,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Three of Wani’s Jaiswal family died in Kedarnath helicopter crash
Three of members in the helicopter that crashed in Kedarnath are from Yavatmal District’s Wani town.
The three of Jaiswal family, named as Rajkumar, his wife Shraddha and daughter Kashi Jaiswal.
Jaiswal family had organized a religious discourse in Wani, before leaving for a pilgrimage.
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