Kedarnath Tragedy: Helicopter Crash Claims Seven Lives, Including Infant

Rudraprayag: A tragic helicopter crash near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district claimed the lives of all seven people on board early Sunday morning. The chopper, belonging to Aryan Aviation, was en route to the sacred Kedarnath shrine as part of the regular yatra shuttle service when it went down around 5:30 am in the forested Gaurimai Khark area.

The incident is suspected to have been caused by poor weather conditions, according to early reports. The area was reportedly shrouded in heavy fog and low visibility at the time of the accident.

The horrifying wreckage was first spotted by a group of Nepalese-origin women who were cutting grass in the forest. They immediately alerted the local authorities. A chilling video, now viral on social media, captures the devastating aftermath of the crash, showing the helicopter completely destroyed and engulfed in smoke and flames.

Among the deceased were a family from Maharashtra — Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shraddha, and their 23-month-old son Kashi — who had travelled for the Kedarnath darshan. The Amar Ujala reported that they were on a spiritual pilgrimage when tragedy struck.

Also killed were Vikram Singh Rawat, a staffer of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC), Vinod Negi, a local resident, Tushti Singh, a fellow pilgrim, and the pilot, Captain Rajiv, who was reportedly highly experienced in mountain flying.

Local police and disaster response teams arrived at the scene shortly after being informed. However, all seven bodies were found charred, indicating the chopper likely caught fire on impact. Rescue and recovery operations were carried out under difficult terrain conditions.

Authorities are now investigating the exact cause of the crash, with a preliminary focus on weather and possible technical malfunction.

This is not the first incident to raise questions over aviation safety in the Kedarnath pilgrimage circuit, where choppers frequently fly in challenging high-altitude weather.

The tragic loss has sent a wave of grief across the state and the nation, with condolences pouring in for the bereaved families.