New Delhi: A helicopter carrying pilgrims from Guptkashi to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand crashed on Tuesday.
According to reports, all seven people onboard have died. According to officials, the chopper burst into flames near Jungle Chatti, en route to the shrine amid fog and poor visibility.
They said medical teams have been deployed at the spot. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has ordered a probe.
“Very sad news has been received about the casualties of some people in the unfortunate helicopter crash at Garuda Chatti near Kedarnath. The SDRF and district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into this tragic incident,” CM Dhami tweeted.
The helicopter – carrying pilgrims – was flying from Kedarnath to the Phata helipad. The SRDF (State Disaster Response Force) teams and local police were rushed to the accident site soon after the accident.
“The helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely unfortunate. We are in touch with the state government to ascertain the magnitude of the loss, and are constantly monitoring the situation,” Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted.
The chopper was operated by a private firm – Ayan Aviation Pvt. Ltd – that provides heli services in the area.
“As per the preliminary information received, a Bell 407 helicopter registered as VT-RPN belonging to a Delhi-based Aryan Aviation crashed on the way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi,” HT quoted an official as saying.