In another aviation disaster, a helicopter returning from the Kedarnath shrine crashed in a remote area of Rudraprayag district on Sunday morning, killing all seven people on board. The incident occurred around 5:24 am, shortly after the chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, took off from the Kedarnath helipad for Guptkashi.
According to officials, the Bell 407 helicopter (registration VT-BKA) took off from Kedarnath at 5:19 am. It had earlier landed at the shrine at 5:18 am with passengers from Guptkashi. Moments after taking off again, the chopper encountered dense fog and near-zero visibility. The crash occurred near Khark, a high-altitude, remote area approximately 5 km above Gaurikund.
The wreckage was located following inputs from local Nepali residents, including a man cutting grass and women collecting fodder, who reported seeing a plume of smoke in the area. Rescue teams from SDRF, DDRF, NDRF and police trekked to the site to confirm the crash.
All seven on board dead
Officials confirmed that all seven occupants – six pilgrims and the pilot – died in the crash. The passengers included a two-year-old child.
List of deceased:
- Capt Rajveer Singh Chauhan, pilot – resident of Jaipur
- Vikram Rawat, BKTC employee – resident of Rasi, Ukhimath
- Vinod Devi, 66 – resident of Uttar Pradesh
- Trishti Singh, 19 – resident of Uttar Pradesh
- Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, 41 – resident of Gujarat
- Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal – resident of Maharashtra
- Kashi, 3 – resident of Maharashtra
For assistance or information, the administration has shared the helpline number: 01364-233727.
Frequent heli ops, DGCA had issued curbs last week
The crash has renewed concerns over helicopter safety in the Char Dham region, where high-altitude flights are frequent during the yatra season. As of now, eight companies operate helicopter services to Kedarnath using nine helipads. Daily flights average around 215 sorties, reaching up to 290 on clear-weather days.
Helicopters typically carry a maximum of six people, including the pilot. In this case, officials said the presence of a 10-kg child allowed the seventh seat to be filled without breaching the aircraft's weight limits.
The DGCA had just last week directed operators to reduce flight frequency, limiting operations to two sorties per hour, or a maximum of three if weather permits. Aircraft are also required to calculate fuel weight, temperature, and passenger load carefully before takeoff.
CM Dhami orders review, DGCA begins enhanced surveillance
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident. “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 posted on X.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it had already reduced the frequency of heli services and initiated enhanced surveillance. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a detailed probe into the crash.