A tragic helicopter crash in a remote area of Uttarakhand claimed the lives of at least seven people on Sunday. The Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd chopper crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati, erupting in flames.
DEHRADUN: At least seven people were killed after a helicopter crashed in a remote part of Uttarakhand on Sunday. The chopper, belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter took off from Kedarnath for Guptkashi around 5.30am but crashed shortly after takeoff.The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot and a resident of Jaipur; Vikram Rawat, 45, a BKTC representative from Rasi, Ukhimath; Vinod Devi, 66, from Uttar Pradesh; Trishti Singh, 19, also from Uttar Pradesh; Rajkumar Jaiswal, 41, from Maharashtra; his wife Shraddha Jaiswal, 35; and their two-year-old daughter, Kashi.Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told media that the crash occurred above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility caused by bad weather.
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Inspector General (Garhwal Range) Rajiv Swaroop confirmed the crash and said the location is “a very remote area.” He further added that police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been dispatched to the site. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reacted to the incident on social media platform ‘X’, saying, “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, on May 8, a helicopter en route to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people. More recently, on June 7, another helicopter heading to Kedarnath was forced to make an emergency landing on a road due to a technical fault shortly after takeoff. While the pilot sustained injuries, all five devotees on board were rescued safelyUttarakhand helicopter safety: CM Dhami orders strict SOP after recent crashes Taking serious note of recent helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued strict directives regarding helicopter operations in the state. CM Dhami stated that a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should be prepared for helicopter services, making it mandatory to conduct a thorough technical check of the aircraft and obtain accurate weather information before every flight. He has directed the chief secretary to constitute a committee of technical experts to draft the SOP after a detailed review of all technical and safety aspects related to heli operations. According to the CMO, the committee will ensure that helicopter services in the state are operated in a safe, transparent manner and in full compliance with prescribed standards.
