The helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation as part of the Kedarnath yatra shuttle service, was completely destroyed in the crash. The wreckage was first discovered by two Nepalese-origin women cutting grass in the area, who alerted local authorities. Harrowing footage of the aftermath, circulating online, shows the helicopter’s mangled remains engulfed by charred forest underbrush.
Among the victims were a family from Maharashtra—Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shraddha, and their infant son Kashi—who had come to visit the Kedarnath temple. Also killed were local BKTC employee Vikram Singh Rawat, passenger Tushti Singh, local resident Vinod Negi, and the pilot, Captain Rajiv. Officials said the bodies were severely charred in the post-impact fire.
Rescue and recovery operations were swiftly launched by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local administration. The challenging terrain and forest cover made access and retrieval efforts difficult.
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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the incident. “Extremely saddened to hear about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag. Rescue and relief teams are at the site. I pray to Baba Kedar for strength to the bereaved families,” he wrote on social media.
A Disturbing Pattern of Aviation Accidents
This marks the third helicopter-related incident in Uttarakhand in just over a month. On June 7, a Crystal Aviation helicopter carrying five passengers was forced to make an emergency landing on the Rudraprayag-Gaurikund highway due to a technical fault shortly after takeoff. Though the pilot sustained injuries, all passengers survived.
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Earlier, on May 8, an Aerotrans helicopter en route to Harsil from Sahastradhara crashed near Gangnani on the Gangotri National Highway. Six of the seven people on board died instantly, while one critically injured survivor was flown to AIIMS Rishikesh. The passengers included pilgrims from Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh.
Aviation authorities are expected to conduct a detailed investigation into the latest crash, amid rising concerns over flight safety during the busy yatra season in Uttarakhand’s treacherous mountainous terrain.
