An unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Gaurikund as a 23-month-old infant and six other pilgrims lost their lives in a helicopter crash following their visit to the Kedarnath shrine. The Aryan Aviation chopper departed from the Kedarnath helipad at 5 am and went missing after losing contact with authorities.

Rahul Chaubey, the district tourism officer, confirmed that there were seven individuals on board the helicopter, including the pilot. Chaubey stated that the crash was due to adverse weather conditions.

The chopper was on its way back from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi when it encountered sudden unfavorable weather in the valley. Despite the pilot's efforts to navigate out of the valley, the helicopter crashed during the process, resulting in a fire after impact.

Fifth Chopper Crash

This incident marks the fifth chopper crash on the Char Dham route in less than 40 days. On June 7, a helicopter carrying five pilgrims crash-landed on the Guptkashi–Gaurikund highway in Rudraprayag. Additionally, on May 8, a helicopter en route to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district, claiming the lives of six occupants.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his sorrow over the tragic accident, highlighting the ongoing relief and rescue efforts by SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams in Rudraprayag.

This devastating event follows closely after the recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, where 241 individuals on board lost their lives along with several others on the ground.