7 Die in Uttarakhand Chopper Crash, Authorities Suspend All Services
In the Gaurikund jungles, an Aryan Aviation copter carrying seven passengers crashed while it was travelling from Guptkashi to Kedarnath Dham.
Ankush Pandey
In Short
- Poor weather conditions caused a crash on the way back from Kedarnath to Guptkashi.
- Services for Char Dham helicopters have been suspended until further notice.
- A technical committee is ordered by the chief minister to review safety standards.
In the Gaurikund jungles, an Aryan Aviation helicopter that was travelling from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi crashed, killing seven people, including the pilot. Helicopter services have been halted in the Char Dham area until further notice due to the accident. A joint decision was made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).
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Rajveer, the pilot, Vikram Rawat, Vinod, Trishti Singh, Rajkuma, Shraddha, and Rashi, a 10-year-old girl, were among the passengers on the helicopter.
"Very sad news has been received about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote on X, lamenting the incident. Rescue and relief efforts are being carried out by the SDRF, local government, and other rescue teams.
"Most distressingly, another civil aviation tragedy was reported this morning, this time from Uttarakhand, in the Kedarnath - Gaurikund - Guptakashi region," said Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, who also expressed sorrow over the incident. There were seven people on board, including the pilot and a child, and the media has reported a crash, with the worst being feared. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on board as we await the outcome of the search and rescue efforts. (sic).
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The helicopter was returning from Kedarnath after picking up passengers when it went off course because of bad weather in the Kedarnath valley. The flight had taken off at 05:17 am to Guptkashi. According to officials, the helicopter lost its way because of the extremely poor weather in the area.
The Chief Minister gave the Chief Secretary instructions to assemble a group of technical experts on Sunday in response to the helicopter crashes. In addition to draughting the new SOP, this committee will thoroughly examine all technical and safety aspects of heli operations. In accordance with all established standards, it will guarantee that helicopter services operate in total safety and transparency.
Chief Minister Dhami added that a high-level committee that was previously established to look into earlier helicopter crashes in the state will now look into the crash that occurred today. The committee will conduct a thorough investigation into all facets of these incidents, find any instances of negligence, and suggest severe punishment for the appropriate parties.
The Chief Minister emphasised the value of heli services in Uttarakhand for emergency response, disaster relief, and pilgrimage, stating that maintaining safety during these operations will be the primary goal.
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