A tragic helicopter crash in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has claimed the lives of seven people, including a two-year-old child and the pilot. The aircraft, a Bell 407 helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation, was flying from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, a popular pilgrimage route in the Himalayan mountains, when it lost contact with authorities. Rescue teams were quickly dispatched to the scene, and an operation to retrieve the bodies was carried out with local police.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the helicopter took off on Sunday at around 05:15 local time, carrying five passengers, one child, and one crew member. The CEO of Uttarakhand’s Civil Aviation Department said that they received information about the missing helicopter at around 05:00, and it was later discovered that the helicopter had crashed near Gaurikund.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the incident as “very sad news” and ordered an inquiry into the cause of the crash. “The negligence at whatever level has been committed will be identified and punitive action will be ensured,” Dhami said, adding that the District Administration for Rudraprayag was instructed to contact the families of the victims and make proper arrangements to send their bodies to the respective states.
This incident has raised concerns about the safety of helicopter services in the region. The state’s director-general of information, Bansidhar Tripathi, noted that there had been “three emergency landings and two helicopter crashes in the past month and a half” along the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route. As a result, heli bycopter services for the route were completely closed until Monday, and services will only resume after a meeting with all operators and a review of the flying experience of all pilots in the high Himalayan regions.
The Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and the helicopter charter industry has developed to serve wealthy pilgrims who want to visit the shrines without arduous trekking. The recent crash is a devastating reminder of the risks involved in aviation, especially in challenging terrain like the Himalayas.