7 dead as Kedarnath chopper crashes in Gaurikund, probe ordered into third crash in 6 weeks

In yet another fatal blow to Uttarakhand’s pilgrimage air route, a helicopter ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed near Gaurikund early morning on June 15, killing all seven people on board — including the pilot and a two-year-old child.

The crash — the third such incident involving Char Dham-bound choppers in just over a month — occurred around 5:20 am at Gauri Mai Khark, a rugged location about 5 km uphill from Gaurikund. Officials said the helicopter, a BELL 407 operated by Aryan Aviation, lost contact shortly after takeoff and went down under circumstances yet to be fully ascertained.

Among the deceased were Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan from Jaipur, local ground staffer Vikram Rawat from Ukhimath, and five pilgrims: Vinod Devi and Trishti Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Jaiswal and Shraddha Jaiswal along with their toddler Kashi from Maharashtra.

Initial reports suggest poor weather may have contributed to the crash. “The pilot may have attempted to navigate around the valley due to low visibility,” said District Tourism Officer Rahul Choubey.

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed the crash and said both NDRF and SDRF teams had been dispatched for relief and recovery. “We are probing the cause and have sent a technical team to the site,” UCADA CEO Sonika said.

Reacting to the tragedy, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered an immediate review of helicopter operations across the state. “A high-level technical committee will now oversee all previous and current crash investigations. Stringent SOPs will be framed and enforced to ensure heli-tour safety,” his office stated.

This crash follows two recent close calls: On May 8, six people died in a helicopter crash en route to Gangotri. Less than a month later, on June 7, another Kedarnath-bound chopper was forced to make an emergency landing on a Uttarakhand highway after a technical snag mid-air.

With the Char Dham Yatra seeing a surge in pilgrim footfall, aviation safety on these high-altitude routes has now come under sharp national scrutiny.