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A helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation, flying from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, crashed in the dense forests of Gaurikund under Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, according to Uttarakhand police.
The chopper, with seven people on board, including the pilot, crashed shortly after takeoff in Kedarnath. According to preliminary information, bad weather is being considered as the possible cause of this accident as per a release by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said, "... A helicopter of Aryan Company took off from Kedarnath around 5 am for Guptkashi. But it crashed on the way, near Gaurikund. This place is a 7 km trekking route. NDRF and SDRF teams have been sent there... According to the information received from locals, there is no possibility of anyone surviving. There were six people in this helicopter, including the pilot Chauhan. One of the passengers was a child, and one was a BKTC (Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temples Committee) employee..." SDRF and NDRF teams were immediately dispatched to the spot and relief and rescue operations have begun. The rescue operation remains challenging as the incident spot is in a difficult and inaccessible forest area. Rahul Choubey, District Tourism Officer, Rudraprayag, said that five adults and a 23-month-old child, along with and a pilot were in the helicopter. The pilot tried to get the helicopter out of the valley as the weather worsened, but it crashed, he said. Choubey further said "He got the information in the morning that a helicopter operating from Aryan Aviation, Guptkashi, crashed while returning from Kedarnath. Five adult passengers, one 23-month-old child and a pilot were in the helicopter. The weather worsened, and in an attempt to get the helicopter out of the valley, it crashed. The investigation is going on." According to V Murugeshan, ADG Law and Order, the helicopter lost contact with radar in the early hours of June 15 while flying between Trijuginarayan and Gaurikund. The wreckage was later found near Gaurikund along the Kedarnath pilgrimage route. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed grief over the incident. In a post on social media X, the CM wrote that State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in the relief and rescue operations. "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," the post read. Dhami further said that his prayers are for the safety of all travellers. "I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers," he said. (ANI)
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