The Uttarakhand government said that the helicopter service for the Char Dham Yatra has resumed and is running smoothly. The government said that the helicopter service was closed for some time due to bad weather, news agency ANI reported.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the Char Dham Yatra is being conducted smoothly in the state.
"Chardham Yatra is being conducted smoothly in the state. So far more than 4 lakh devotees have visited the Dhams. Heli services for Shri Kedarnath Dham are also fully operational. You are requested not to pay attention to any kind of rumor. The state government is constantly trying to make your travel experience safe and smooth. For any information and assistance, you can call helpline numbers 1364 and 0135-1364," said the CM.
Earlier, there was a report that the helicopter service for the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand were suspended with immediate effect as a precautionary measure. Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said that it is now only available for the evacuation of pilgrims from the yatra locations.
"Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has suspended Char Dham Yatra helicopter service with immediate effect in Uttarakhand. Helicopter service is only available to evacuate pilgrims from Char Dham Yatra locations," UCADA said.
6 killed as helicopter on way to Gangotri temple was crashed
Earlier on May 8, a helicopter on its way to the Gangotri temple crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot, and leaving a man seriously injured, officials said. Barring the pilot, who hailed from Gujarat's Vadodara, the five other deceased were women.
The helicopter of a private company, with seven people on board, crashed over the Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway at around 8:45 am and fell into a gorge about 200-250 metres deep, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said.
The helicopter had left the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun for the Kharsali helipad. It was on its way to Gangotri from there when it crashed, an official said.
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