A somber cloud hangs over India today as a helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed near the sacred Kedarnath temple in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing all seven people on board, including a toddler and the pilot.
The aircraft, operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, was en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi when it went down around 5:30 a.m. local time in a densely forested area near Gaurikund. Authorities believe poor weather conditions played a significant role in the crash.
Among the deceased were Rajkumar and Shraddha Jaiswal, their two-year-old daughter Kashi, and other pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The pilot, Captain Rajbeer Singh Chauhan, a former Indian Army officer with over 15 years of flying experience, also perished in the crash.
The tragedy comes just days after a devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 270 lives, compounding the nation’s grief.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow, stating, “I pray to Baba Kedar for strength to the bereaved families.” Helicopter services along the Kedarnath route have been suspended pending further investigation.
The Kedarnath temple, perched at an altitude of 3,584 meters, draws tens of thousands of pilgrims each summer. While helicopter services offer a faster alternative to the arduous trek, the region’s unpredictable weather and high-altitude conditions have made air travel increasingly perilous. This marks the fifth helicopter-related incident in the area in less than two months.