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India.com
5 days ago
- Climate
- India.com
Helicopter Services In Kedarnath Resumes After Rudraprayag Accident
DEHRADUN: Helicopter operations at the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand have resumed, and the tourists have been told to plan their journey according to the weather, according to CEO of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. The official, Sonika said that flying in the region has not resumed but will resume once the weather improves. "Heli operations have resumed today. As the weather is not favourable currently, flying has not resumed yet. But as soon as we get clear weather, flying will resume", Sonika told ANI. On Sunday monring, seven people, including the pilot of a helicopter died after it crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said. The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated. The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequency of helicopter operations at Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure. DGCA is also carrying out enhanced surveillance and operational reviews. Chief Executive Officer of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department (UCADA), Sonika had stated that helicopter shuttle services in the area had been closed, given the ongoing relief operations and weather conditions in the valley.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
Helicopter services in Kedarnath resumes after Rudraprayag accident
Dehradun (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Helicopter operations at the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand have resumed, and the tourists have been told to plan their journey according to the weather, according to CEO of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. The official, Sonika said that flying in the region has not resumed but will resume once the weather improves. 'Heli operations have resumed today. As the weather is not favourable currently, flying has not resumed yet. But as soon as we get clear weather, flying will resume', Sonika told ANI. On Sunday monring, seven people, including the pilot of a helicopter died after it crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said. The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated. The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequency of helicopter operations at Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure. DGCA is also carrying out enhanced surveillance and operational reviews. Chief Executive Officer of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department (UCADA), Sonika had stated that helicopter shuttle services in the area had been closed, given the ongoing relief operations and weather conditions in the valley. (ANI)
The Star
15-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Seven people, including toddler, die in second Uttarakhand helicopter crash in 40 days
This photo shared by Uttarakhand Police on the X platform shows rescuers working at the site of a helicopter crash near Kedarnath, in Uttarakhand, India, Sunday, June 15, 2025. - Photo: Uttarakhand Police on X via AP NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand on Sunday (June 15) morning witnessed yet another helicopter crash in Kedarnath Valley, which claimed seven lives, including a 23-month-old child and the pilot. Rescuers were able to recover only two bodies, while the remaining five bodies were charred beyond recognition. A helicopter belonging to Aryan Aviation Company, carrying six devotees and a pilot, from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed at the Gaurikund area early Sunday morning, killing all seven people on board. Among the killed devotees was also a 23-month-old baby girl and her parents from Maharashtra. The deceased have been identified as captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan Pilot from Jaipur; Vikram Rawat a local member of Badr-Kedar Temple Committee and resident of Ukhimath; 66-year old Vinod Devi from Uttar Pradesh; Trishti Singh,19, from Uttar Pradesh; Rajkumar Jaiswal, 41; Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and their 23-month-old daughter from Maharashtra. Smoke billows at the site of a chopper crash in the Gaurikund area of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, India, June 15, 2025. - Photo: State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Uttarakhand/Handout via Reuters Officials of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) informed that the bodies of the child and four other deceased were recovered, while parts of two other bodies were traced till the time of reporting of this news. Rescue teams, including those of SDRF, NDRF, and local police, were still searching for remaining body parts under inclement weather conditions on the hilltop. According to the officials, the crash occurred as heli was caught in bad weather, due to low visibility on the hills. The pilot tried his best to land at a safe location, but the heli caught fire and was gutted, turning into ashes. Questions are also being raised as to the timing of helicopter flights being allowed by the administration, as early as around 5.30 am. The crashed helicopter took off at around 5.21 am and crashed at around 5.30 am. The flying machine was last seen at around 5.24 am in the valley. Members of rescue teams work at the site of a chopper crash in the Gaurikund area of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, India, June 15, 2025. - Photo: State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Uttarakhand/Handout via Reuters The fall of the heli remained unnoticed till a group of local village women, who went there to collect grass, spotted the burning flying machine and alerted other villagers. This is the second Heli crash within 40 days. A Crystal Aviation helicopter crashed on May 5, killing six devotees who were going to visit the Gangotri Shrine. Besides these crashes, around three helicopters, including an ambulance of AIIMS, had to undertake an emergency landing due to technical snags. - The Statesman/ANN
India Gazette
15-06-2025
- India Gazette
Kedarnath-Gaurikund helicopter crash: CM Dhami chairs high-level meeting; 7 dead
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 15 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday held a virtual emergency meeting with senior officials following the crash of a helicopter near Kedarnath-Gaurikund in the Rudraprayag district. The meeting, held at the Chief Minister's residence, was attended by the Chief Secretary, the Disaster Management Secretary, UCADA CEO, Garhwal Commissioner, and other top officials. Earlier in the day, at around 5:30 am, a helicopter en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed near Gaurikund. The helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, had seven people on board -- five adult passengers, one infant, and the pilot. All seven lost their lives in the crash, according to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The victims have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, Vikram Rawat, Vinod Devi, Trishti Singh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal, and an infant named Kashi. As soon as information about the crash was received, SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav directed rescue teams to the site. The crash site was in a dense and difficult forested area, making access challenging. However, joint teams from the SDRF, NDRF, and local police carried out a swift and coordinated rescue operation. All seven bodies were recovered and are being brought down to the road head by the SDRF team. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) would conduct a detailed probe into the incident. In light of the crash, the frequencies of helicopter operations to Char Dham will be reduced as a precautionary measure. Enhanced surveillance and operational reviews are also being carried out by DGCA, the aviation authority said in its statement. Providing more details of the incident, the DGCA added, 'Today, Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter VT-BKA operating a flight on the Shri Kedarnath ji - Aryan Helipad Guptkashi sector was involved in an accident. There were five passengers, one infant, and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off at 05:19 hours for Guptkashi and crashed near Gaurikund.' (ANI)
Hans India
15-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
SDRF recovers all seven bodies from U'Khand helicopter crash site
Rudraprayag: A team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the helicopter crash site in Rudraprayag's Gaurikund area in Uttarakhand and recovered all seven charred bodies. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police were also involved in the rescue operations. According to rescue officials, the helicopter was completely destroyed by fire on impact. All seven people on board a helicopter en route from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi were killed when the chopper crashed and went up in flames in a forested area near Gaurikund early Sunday morning. Among the deceased was a 23-month-old child. The ill-fated aircraft, a Bell 407 with registration VT-BKA, operated by Aryan Aviation, was flying on the sector 'Shri Kedarnath ji - Aryan Helipad, Guptkashi' when it crashed during its brief 10-minute flight. The accident took place around 5.20 a.m. in a densely wooded zone between Gaurikund and Sonprayag, specifically in the remote area of Gauri Mai Khark. As soon as the incident was reported, rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF commander Arpan Yaduvanshi. "The SDRF team reached the site of incident Jorsi (above Gaurikund) -- Crashed helicopter completely burnt, all 7 bodies recovered by rescue team. SDRF, NDRF and District Police engaged in rescue work," read a post from the SDRF on X. A statement from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed that the victims included six pilgrims -- five adults and an infant -- belonging to different states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Those who lost their lives in the crash have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, a pilot from Jaipur; Vikram Rawat, an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC); Vinod Devi and her granddaughter Trushti Singh, pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh; and a family of three from Maharashtra -- Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shradha Jaiswal, and their daughter Kashi Jaiswal. In response to the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken precautionary steps by reducing the frequency of helicopter services to Char Dham. The agency is also conducting enhanced surveillance of helicopter operations in the region and is reviewing all procedures for potential safety upgrades. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has been tasked with investigating the cause of the crash. Preliminary reports suggest that poor visibility and harsh weather conditions in the mountainous terrain played a critical role in the accident. Despite the difficult terrain and thick forest cover at the crash location, rescue and relief operations are being conducted at full scale. Teams from the NDRF and SDRF are continuing efforts in the challenging conditions to ensure the complete recovery of mortal remains and evidence. The tragic crash has once again raised concerns about the safety of helicopter operations in Uttarakhand's treacherous high-altitude zones, particularly during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.
