A helicopter carrying seven people to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kedarnath crashed in the mountainous Gaurikund area of northern India’s Uttarakhand state on Sunday, killing at least five on board, local officials and media reported.
According to Indian news agency ANI, the aircraft had taken off from Dehradun and lost contact with air traffic control shortly before it went missing near Gaurikund, a high-altitude zone close to the revered Himalayan temple.
Authorities later located the wreckage between Trijuginarayan and Gaurikund. Initial reports suggested that the helicopter went off course due to deteriorating weather conditions. India Today quoted officials as saying poor visibility and turbulent atmospheric conditions were likely contributing factors.
Dr V Murugeshan, Additional Director General (Law and Order), confirmed that six people were on board. While official confirmation of the death toll is awaited, multiple media outlets have reported that five passengers are feared dead.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local administration, and other agencies were carrying out relief and rescue operations at the crash site.
Helicopter services to Kedarnath are routinely used by pilgrims, particularly during the annual Char Dham Yatra season. However, aviation operations in the region have long been susceptible to sudden and severe weather changes. The latest incident has reignited concerns over flight safety and regulatory oversight in Uttarakhand's treacherous terrain.
This is not the first such accident on the Kedarnath route. In October 2022, a similar crash claimed the lives of seven people when a helicopter ferrying pilgrims went down near the same area.
