Rudraprayag, June 15: Seven people were killed early Sunday morning when a helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation crashed between Gaurikund and Sonprayag while returning from the Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi, state officials said.
The chopper went down around 5:20 a.m., minutes after taking off, amid poor weather conditions in the Kedarnath valley. All on board — six pilgrims and the pilot — were confirmed dead. The victims included a 10-year-old girl and were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
The deceased have been identified as pilot Rajveer, along with passengers Vikram Rawat, Vinod, Trishti Singh, Rajkuma, Shraddha, and Rashi, the child. Locals collecting fodder in the forest reportedly spotted the wreckage and alerted authorities.
Rescue operations were immediately launched by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with support from local administration teams.
In response to the incident, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have suspended all helicopter services to the Char Dham pilgrimage sites until further notice.
“Extremely sad news has been received about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Dhami has directed the state’s Chief Secretary to form a technical committee to conduct a thorough review of existing safety protocols for heli operations. “A technical expert committee will comprehensively review all safety and technical aspects of heli operations… ensuring complete safety, transparency, and compliance with norms,” he said.
This is the fifth helicopter-related incident in Uttarakhand since the portals of Kedarnath temple opened on May 2. On June 7, another helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on a highway after a mechanical failure during take-off.
A previously constituted high-level panel investigating earlier accidents will now also examine Sunday’s crash. The committee is expected to identify any lapses and recommend punitive action where necessary.
Helicopter services in Uttarakhand play a critical role in transporting pilgrims, supporting disaster response efforts, and facilitating emergency medical evacuations in the high-altitude Himalayan region. The chief minister reiterated that ensuring passenger safety in these operations will remain the government’s top priority.
