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A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims crashed after colliding with a hill in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district Tuesday morning.
Officials have confirmed that seven people aboard a chopper that crashed in Uttarakhand near the iconic Kedarnath Dham died. The helicopter crashed near Garud Chatti, about 2 kilometers from the Kedarnath Dham shrine. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has ordered an investigation.
“Very sad news has been received about the casualties of some people in the unfortunate helicopter crash at Garuda Chatti near Kedarnath. The SDRF and district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into this tragic incident,” he tweeted.
The pilgrims were being transported by helicopter from Kedarnath to the Phata helipad. The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and local police officers were rushed to the site.
“Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office quoted him as saying.
Uttarakhand SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra confirmed the deaths in the chopper crash, which occurred minutes after takeoff. The tragedy is thought to have been caused by bad weather.
The helicopter was operated by a private company called Ayan Aviation Pvt. Ltd – a company that provides helicopter services in the area. “A Bell 407 helicopter registered as VT-RPN belonging to a Delhi-based Aryan Aviation crashed on the way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi,” an official said.
C Ravi Shankar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority (UCADA), at a press briefing said: “The weather conditions were bad in the area. The investigation will reveal what exactly happened there. Pilots also have to see safety aspects while flying when weather conditions or visibility conditions are bad. District magistrate Rudraprayag has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Chopper operations in the Kedarnath Dham have been stopped till further orders.”
“We will also report to Centre and DGCA about the incident. Nine heli operators are operating in the area and at a time six choppers can fly in the area,” he added.
Source:HT
