7 killed in helicopter crash near Kedarnath temple
What's the story
Seven people were reportedly killed in a helicopter crash near the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.
The incident involved an Aryan Aviation chopper carrying six pilgrims and a pilot from the temple to Guptkashi.
The helicopter took off at 5:20am and lost contact with the control room, crashing between Gaurikund and Sonprayag after a 10-minute flight.
Investigation underway
UCADA confirms crash
The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed the crash and said that a technical problem and bad weather reportedly led to the incident.
Locals first reported the crash after spotting the missing helicopter while collecting fodder for their cattle.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are en route to the site of the crash.
Official response
CM Dhami expresses grief
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his grief over the incident.
He wrote, "The extremely distressing news of a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district has been received. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations."
This is the fifth such accident since the Kedarnath temple opened on May 2 this year.
History
Another chopper had to land on highway
On June 7, another helicopter heading to Kedarnath was forced to land on the Guptkashi-Gaurikund highway near Barasu in Rudraprayag district.
The incident occurred around 1 pm.
The chopper narrowly avoided buildings, and its tail rotor fell on a parked car.
While the five pilgrims onboard escaped unhurt, the pilot suffered minor injuries.