Toddler among 7 killed as Kedarnath chopper crashes amid bad weather
DEHRADUN: A helicopter carrying seven people - a toddler, five pilgrims and the pilot - crashed near Gaurikund on Kedarnath route around 5.40 am Sunday, killing all occupants. The Bell 407 chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, caught fire after the crash, leaving the bodies charred.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will lead the inquiry into the crash, the second fatal air accident during this year's Char Dham Yatra. On May 8, six people died in a crash near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district.
The helicopter, bearing registration number VT-BKA, had taken off from Kedarnath at 5.18 am and likely ran into dense clouds in the narrow Himalayan valley, officials said. The regional meteorological centre had issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in 10 districts, including Rudraprayag, on Sunday.
Preliminary reports suggest adverse weather may have played a role.
Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot and a resident of Jaipur, died in the crash along with Vikram Rawat, 45, a Badri-Kedar temple committee member from Ukhimath; Vinod Devi, 66, and Trishti Singh, 19, both from UP; Rajkumar Jaiswal, 41, a coal transporter from Maharashtra; his wife Shraddha Jaiswal, 35; and their two-year-old daughter, Kashi.
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Rescue teams from SDRF and NDRF reached the densely forested crash site, navigating thick fog and challenging terrain. All seven bodies were recovered. District disaster management officer N K Rajwar said, "It seems weather changed suddenly, creating foggy conditions that caused the chopper to lose its course, leading to the accident."
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