Uttarakhand: Helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims crashes, 7 dead - WATCH

A helicopter in Uttarakhand, carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Phata, crashed on Tuesday.

New Delhi: A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Phata crashed on Tuesday (October 18, 2022) morning. "7 people died in the crash. The incident took place around 11:40am. The chopper took place from Kedarnath and was heading towards Guptkashi. The cause of the accident will be known after a proper investigation," said C Ravi Shankar, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. 

7 people died in the crash. The incident took place around 11:40am. The chopper took place from Kedarnath and was heading towards Guptkashi. The cause of the accident will be known after a proper investigation: C Ravi Shankar, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority pic.twitter.com/8yjIsxWkZl

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

The chopper crashed at Garud Chatti, nearly 2 km from the Kedarnath Dham shrine and caught fire. Soon after the tragic incident, the administration team left for relief and rescue work. A team has been dispatched to the accident spot to carry out relief operations, informed officials. Fog and poor visibility are said to be the reason for the crash. 

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Phata crashes, casualties feared; administration team left for the spot for relief and rescue work. Further details awaited pic.twitter.com/sDf4x1udlJ

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

A senior civil aviation ministry official said the helicopter involved in the crash was operated by Aryan Aviation. "According to the preliminary information, a Bell 407 helicopter VT-RPN crashed on the way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, possibly due to bad weather," a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia tweeted that the ministry is in touch with the state government and is constantly monitoring the situation. "The helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely unfortunate. We are in touch with the State government to ascertain the magnitude of the loss, and are constantly monitoring the situation," Scindia said in a tweet.

After the news of the tragic incident broke out, President Droupadi Murmu condoled the demise of people who died when their helicopter crashed in Phata. "The news of the death of many pilgrims including the pilot in the helicopter crash near Kedarnath Dham is very sad. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones," the president said on Twitter. 

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 18, 2022

"Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families," tweets Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Additionally, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also offered his condolences over the tragic incident and said, "very sad news has been received of some casualties in the unfortunate helicopter crash at Garuda Chatti near Kedarnath. SDRF and district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into this tragic incident."

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) October 18, 2022

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the helicopter crash incident near Kedarnath. He offered condolences to the kin of the deceased.

Kedarnath Dham is part of the Char Dham yatra undertaken by devotees in the state of Uttarakhand. The circuit also comprises Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath sites.

(With agency inputs)