Kedarnath trek in an ambulance? Police impound fake emergency vehicles used by pilgrims to skip the rush
Uttarakhand Police seized two ambulances en route to Kedarnath for carrying healthy pilgrims bypassing long queues. Drivers confessed to offering 'luxury' rides, exploiting emergency services during the busy yatra season. Authorities are increasing checks to prevent such misuse, which endangers genuine patients and burdens local resources, along the Sonprayag-Gaurikund stretch.
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Sirens but no patients
Short ride sold as 'luxury'
Police grow suspicious
Passengers flee, drivers fined
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Difficult flying conditions and limited infrastructure
Recent incidents and past tragedies
Pilots rely on instincts and visual navigation
Allegations of poor maintenance and safety violations
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Regulatory action and pending safety reforms
Two ambulances racing toward the Kedarnath trek route were stopped and seized on Saturday after Uttarakhand Police found healthy pilgrims inside and no medical emergency on record. Officers said the vehicles' flashing lights and sirens were used only to bypass the long line of visitors heading for the Himalayan shrine, a TOI report stated. The incident shows how some pilgrims misuse emergency services to shorten their journey during the busy Kedarnath yatra season, putting genuine patients at risk and burdening local authorities.Police on duty near Sonprayag noticed the ambulances driving toward Gaurikund, the last motor‑road point before the 16‑kilometre climb to the temple. No distress call had come from Gaurikund, which has no hospital. Inside the vehicles officers found three men dressed as pilgrims, none of whom was injured.Investigators said Haridwar driver Nikhil Wilson Massih and Amroha driver Krishna Kumar admitted the ambulances were hired for convenience. One air‑conditioned vehicle carried a single passenger who paid for a 'luxury' ride; the other had two booked passengers and three more picked up en route, much like a shared taxi.'The unusual thing was that the ambulance was moving towards Gaurikund and that too with people who had posed as patients. If someone is unwell, there is no reason for going towards Gaurikund to take the trek route,' a policeman at Sonprayag told TOI. 'If there had been some medical emergency, an ambulance should have moved towards Sonprayag, Rampur and Rudraprayag. Therefore, it was very surprising for the police team.'The three original passengers slipped into the crowd before officers could question them. Police issued challans under the Motor Vehicle Act and impounded both vehicles at the Acrow bridge checkpoint.'Our job was just to take the ambulances up to Gaurikund,' one driver said, adding that he did not know how much money changed hands between owners and passengers.Authorities said the misuse of sirens and priority lanes will be reported to district officials. Additional checks are planned along the 2‑kilometre Sonprayag‑Gaurikund stretch to prevent repeat incidents during the pilgrimage rush.Meanwhile, five helicopter accidents in the span of six weeks along the Gaurikund–Kedarnath pilgrimage route have also led to an urgent review of safety protocols by aviation regulators and operators. Two of the incidents were fatal, while the others resulted in emergency landings and serious rotor damage.Pilots operating in this region rely heavily on visual cues due to the absence of basic aviation infrastructure. The route lacks air traffic control systems, reliable weather stations, and emergency diversion points. These challenges have sparked debate over whether helicopter services should continue in the Char Dham sector until better safety mechanisms are in place.The recent run of accidents began when a Kestrel Aviation helicopter crash-landed near a road, injuring the pilot. Following that, two aircraft suffered rotor damage, and another made an emergency landing. These add to earlier incidents, including the 2022 crash that killed seven people, the 2023 accident that claimed the life of a senior finance officer from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), and the 2013 rescue operation crash that killed 20 military personnel.Manoj Sharma, a pilot familiar with the Kedarnath sector, said, 'We are flying in one of the world's most unforgiving regions with very little real‑time weather support. Operations are being conducted on pilot observation and visual reference. The weather is unpredictable and changes rapidly.'Another experienced pilot added, 'There is no ATC or weather station. Flying in the narrow valley from Gaurikund to Kedarnath needs experience and safety awareness, as there are no emergency landing sites.'Operators have raised concerns over poor oversight. One operator said, 'There are no checks. Faulty parts are being swapped with others to show repairs. Conscientious operators and passengers suffer.' A senior pilot described the recent wave of accidents as 'the worst we've seen,' and said services should be suspended for the season, adding, 'Greed is driving it, not safety.'The civil aviation ministry has suspended Aryan Aviation, grounded two TransBharat pilots for flying in bad weather, and asked UCADA to set up a flight coordination centre. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also deployed officials to monitor operations on-site.Still, many pilots say these steps are not enough. 'No route info is provided. Until these issues are fixed, operations should be stopped,' one pilot said.UCADA is now reviewing operating procedures and considering a separate flight management centre for Kedarnath. In the meantime, calls for halting commercial helicopter services continue to grow.
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