Daijiworld Media Network- Dehradun

Dehradun, Jun 15: In a tragic development, seven lives were lost early Saturday morning when a helicopter ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed in the dense forest area between Gaurikund and Sonprayag in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. This marks the fifth such incident in the region within just six weeks, raising serious concerns about aerial safety in the Himalayas.

According to a statement by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, was on a brief 10-minute journey when it went down at around 5:20 am. On board were six pilgrims — including a child — hailing from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, along with the pilot, all of whom were killed in the crash.

Initial reports suggest a combination of technical failure and adverse weather conditions may have led to the tragedy. The wreckage was discovered by locals who were out collecting cattle fodder, following which authorities were alerted.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to the site for rescue and recovery operations.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami termed the news as “extremely distressing” in a message on X (formerly Twitter). “SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations,” he stated.

The repeated occurrences of such crashes have sparked alarm among pilgrims and aviation experts, especially given the high volume of helicopter traffic during the Char Dham Yatra season.