Kedarnath: A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Phata has reportedly crashed in Uttarakhand killing seven including the pilot.
“7 people died in the crash. The incident took place around 11:40am. The chopper took off from Kedarnath and was heading towards Guptkashi. The cause of the accident will be known after a proper investigation,” C Ravi Shankar, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority said.
As per various reports, the chopper belonging to a private operator crashed soon after takeoff. Various videos shared on Twitter show burning mangled remains of the chopper in hilly terrain and low clouds.
Meanwhile, Narendra Modi in a tweet said: “Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.”
Amit Shah also reacted to this incident. “The incident of the crash of the helicopter carrying the pilgrims in Kedarnath is very sad. I express my condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in this accident. May God give them the strength to bear this grief.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also said the SDRF and district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work.
“Very sad news has been received of some casualties in the unfortunate helicopter crash at Garuda Chatti near Kedarnath. SDRF and district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into this tragic incident,” Dhami tweeted.
Earlier in this month, a Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh killing one of the two pilots onboard.
