5 Mishaps In 6 Weeks On Char Dham Route: Chopper Blade Hitting Vehicle To Air Ambulance Tail...

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Uttarakhand witnessed at least six helicopter crashes on the Char Dham route within a span of nearly 40 days.
Uttarakhand witnessed at least six helicopter crashes on the Char Dham route within a span of nearly 40 days. This includes the Sunday chopper crash killed seven people.
The helicopter, with six pilgrims (five adults and a child) and a pilot, was flying from the Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi in Uttarakhand when it crashed in a forest between Gaurikund and Sonprayag. The pilgrims killed during the 10-minute ride were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Other Accidents On Char Dham Route Between May & June
• On June 7, a private firm's helicopter crash-landed in the Badasu area of Rudraprayag district shortly after taking off from Sirsi helipad. The helicopter, carrying five pilgrims to Kedarnath, had departed from the Sirsi helipad. While landing, the tail of the helicopter broke off, but authorities confirmed that no one was injured in the incident.
• May 8: Six individuals lost their lives, and one person was severely injured when a helicopter transporting passengers to the Gangotri shrine crashed into a gorge near Gangnani village in Uttarkashi, Garhwal Himalayas, around 8:30 am. The deceased included five pilgrims and the pilot. The only survivor, a passenger from Andhra Pradesh, was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh in critical condition.
• On May 12, a potential accident was avoided at the Badrinath helipad. The pilot lost control of a private helicopter shortly after takeoff. Attempting to land back on the helipad, the chopper's blade struck a nearby parked vehicle, causing panic. Fortunately, the helicopter landed safely without any injuries or significant damage. Due to the severity of the incident, action was taken against the helicopter company.
• May 17: A Sanjeevani air ambulance deployed by AIIMS-Rishikesh crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad after its tail hit the ground during landing around 11:50am on Saturday. The three onboard — the pilot, a doctor, and nursing staff — escaped unhurt. The air ambulance had been dispatched to airlift Sridevi, who was suffering from acute respiratory distress.
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