Kedarnath Helicopter Crash, All 7 People Killed

A tragic helicopter crash happened in Uttarakhand early in the morning at around 5:20 AM. The helicopter was flying from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi and crashed into a forest area between Gaurikund and Sonprayag. The crash killed all seven people on board – this included six pilgrims (five adults and one 23-month-old child) and the pilot.

According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), all seven bodies were found completely burnt.

What Caused the Crash?

Officials say that the weather suddenly turned bad during the return flight. The pilot tried to fly the helicopter out of the valley to avoid the bad weather. However, the helicopter lost control and crashed in a forest area near Gaurikund.

Among those who died were:

• Three members of the Jaiswal family from Yavatmal, Maharashtra – Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shraddha Jaiswal, and their 23-month-old daughter, Kashi.
• Thankfully, their son, Vivaan, was not on the flight as he stayed back with his grandfather.
• One of the other victims was an employee of the Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).
• The remaining passengers were pilgrims from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.

How Was the Crash Discovered?

Some local villagers who had gone to collect fodder for their animals saw the wreckage and quickly informed the authorities. Soon after, rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached Gaurikund. They began trekking towards the crash site and started the rescue operation around 8:55 AM. So far, two bodies have been recovered.

Government’s Response

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the incident on social media and shared that relief and rescue operations are in full swing. He also announced strict new rules for helicopter services in the state to prevent such accidents in the future.

He has ordered the formation of a special committee of technical experts who will create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for helicopter flights. This will include:

• Complete technical checks of the helicopter before flying.
• Mandatory weather checks to ensure safety.

Not the First Incident This Year

Sadly, this is the fifth such incident since the Kedarnath temple reopened on May 2. In another recent case on June 7, a helicopter had to make an emergency landing on a road due to a technical problem. Although no pilgrims were seriously hurt in that case, it highlighted serious safety concerns.

This tragic event has raised important questions about helicopter safety in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. The state government is taking steps to improve safety to ensure such heartbreaking accidents do not happen again.