Helicopter services halted on Chardham Yatra route
Helicopter rides for the Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand are on hold for two days after a tragic crash near Gaurikund killed seven people, including a child and the pilot. Shockingly, this is the fifth helicopter accident on this route in just a month and a half.
Another crash last month
The latest crash happened in tough weather with low visibility, as the chopper went down in a dense forest between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan. Rescue teams from NDRF and SDRF trekked out early to reach the site. Just last month, there was another fatal crash near Gangnani and an emergency landing involving Kestrel Aviation.
CM calls emergency meeting
After these repeated incidents, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called an emergency meeting. All helicopter services have been suspended while new safety rules—like stricter technical checks before flights and better weather monitoring—are put in place. A team of aviation experts will now review these measures to help keep future journeys safer.