New Delhi : Following the crash, helicopter services operating in the Char Dham region have been suspended until further notice. The decision was jointly taken by UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). Passengers on board the helicopter included: Rajveer – Pilot, Vikram Rawat, Vinod, Trishti Singh, Rajkuma, Shraddha, Rashi – a 10-year-old girl.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident, saying on X: “Extremely sad news has been received about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also expressed grief over the incident, saying, “Most distressingly, another civil aviation tragedy was reported this morning, this time from Uttarakhand, in the Kedarnath – Gaurikund – Guptakashi region. 7 people were on board including a child and the pilot, and there has been a reported crash with worst being feared by media. While we await the results of rescue and search operations, my prayers go out for each one on board.” (sic).
Chopper took off at 05:17 am to Guptkashi and was returning from Kedarnath after picking up passengers when it went off course due to poor weather conditions in the Kedarnath valley. Officials confirmed that the weather in the region was severely bad, which reportedly caused the helicopter to lose its way.
The Chief Minister on Sunday instructed the Chief Secretary to form a committee of technical experts. This committee will comprehensively review all safety and technical aspects of heli operations and draft the new SOP. It will ensure that helicopter services function with complete safety, transparency, and in compliance with all prescribed norms.
Chief Minister Dhami said that a high-level committee—already constituted to investigate previous helicopter accidents in the state—will now also investigate today’s crash. The committee will examine all aspects of these incidents in depth, identify any negligence, and recommend strict action against responsible individuals or agencies.
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