Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand: A pall of gloom descended upon the holy Kedarnath valley early Sunday as a helicopter carrying six pilgrims and its pilot crashed shortly after take-off, claiming all seven lives. The Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd chopper, en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, met its tragic end above the dense forests of Gaurikund.
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar attributed the fatal accident to severely diminished visibility, a consequence of the region’s notoriously capricious weather. The helicopter, reportedly flying in the challenging stretch between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati, burst into flames upon impact, leaving no survivors.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media platform X to confirm that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with other allied agencies were mobilised for immediate relief and rescue operations, underscoring the government’s commitment to a swift response to the unfolding tragedy.
This horrific incident marks yet another grim chapter in the recent history of aviation mishaps in India. It follows closely on the heels of a catastrophic Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad just days prior, which resulted in 241 fatalities. The back-to-back disasters have cast a long shadow over aviation safety protocols across the nation.
The Kedarnath region itself has witnessed a disturbing frequency of such incidents. Earlier in May, a helicopter en route to Gangotri Dham in Uttarkashi crashed, also claiming six lives. Furthermore, a mere week ago, on June 7, another helicopter bound for Kedarnath was forced to execute an emergency landing due to a technical glitch, though thankfully, only the pilot sustained injuries and passengers were safely evacuated. These recurring events in the challenging Himalayan terrain are now prompting urgent calls for a thorough review of flight safety measures, especially more rigorous weather assessments, to safeguard the lives of pilgrims and tourists flocking to the sacred sites.
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