Daijiworld Media Network – Dehradun

Dehradun, Jun 16: A helicopter ferrying pilgrim from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed on Sunday morning near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, killing all seven onboard, including a two-year-old girl. Officials said the crash occurred amid dense fog and poor visibility around 9,000 feet above sea level.

The deceased include pilot Rajveer Singh Chauhan (35), a former army officer from Jaipur; a family of three from Maharashtra Rajkumar Jaiswal, wife Shradha and daughter Kashi; Vinod Devi (66) and granddaughter Tusti Singh (19) from UP; and temple committee member Vikram Singh Rawat (46).

The chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, took off at 5:21 am and was last spotted at 5:24 am near Valley Point. It failed to reach its destination, prompting a search. This is the fifth helicopter-related incident on the Kedarnath route in six weeks.

The civil aviation ministry said preliminary findings suggest “controlled flight into terrain.” Aryan Aviation’s operations have been suspended, and an FIR has been filed against company officials for flying despite poor weather, violating SOPs.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a temporary suspension of helicopter services and a high-level inquiry. Aviation experts flagged commercial pressure and protocol lapses as contributing factors.

Pilot Chauhan’s grieving father said, “He became a father after 14 years. We were planning a ceremony for his twins. Now everything is lost.”