Uttarakhand helicopter crash: Seven passengers onboard feared dead

HORNBILL TV

The seven people onboard a helicopter that crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand early Sunday morning are feared dead, according to the SDRF.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 15 (HBTV): The seven people onboard a helicopter that crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand early Sunday morning are feared dead, according to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

Preliminary reports suggest that the Aryan Aviation-operated helicopter crashed due to bad weather conditions.

Teams from the SDRF and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for relief operations. However, officials say the operation has been challenging due to the difficult and inaccessible terrain of the crash site.

According to a statement by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter crashed around 5:20 am while en route from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi. It was carrying six passengers—including a child—and a pilot. The passengers were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

The official statement said: ‘Today, at around 5:20 am, a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has been reported to have crashed near Gaurikund. There were six passengers (five adults and one child) and the pilot. The passengers in the helicopter are from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.’

UCADA confirmed that both NDRF and SDRF teams were dispatched to the crash site to carry out rescue operations.

‘In view of relief and rescue, NDRF and SDRF teams have been dispatched to the site of the incident,’ the statement read.

Inspector General (Garhwal Range) Rajiv Swaroop noted that the crash occurred in a very remote area.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the safety of those onboard. In a post on X, he wrote: ‘Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers.’

Earlier, following initial reports of the helicopter going missing, Uttarakhand ADG (Law and Order), Dr V Murugeshan, confirmed that the missing helicopter had crashed.

(ANI)