Kedarnath-Gaurikund helicopter crash: CM Dhami chairs high-level meeting; 7 dead

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)