15/06/2025
A helicopter, with seven people onboard, crashed in Uttarakhand on Sunday (June 15) morning while returning from the Kedarnath shrine to Guptkashi.
The incident occurred at around 5:17 am, shortly after the chopper, operated by A***n Aviation, took off from the Kedarnath helipad.
“The helicopter took off for Gaurikund with pilgrims on board after visiting the Kedarnath shrine. There were seven people on board. The area where the crash occurred is extremely remote and difficult to access. Police and SDRF teams have been dispatched to the spot,” said Garhwal IG.
"Today, at around 5:20 AM, a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has been reported to have crashed near Gaurikund. There were six passengers (5 adults and 1 child) and a pilot. The passengers in the helicopter are from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In view of relief and rescue, NDRF and SDRF teams have been dispatched to the site of the incident," Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said.
Soon after the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X: "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."
There is no official confirmation yet about the number of casualties in the crash.
Search and rescue operations are underway, and further updates are awaited.