A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed early Sunday in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, northern India. All seven people on board, including the pilot, were killed, according to multiple media reports.
The Bell 407 helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, went down around 05:30 local time in a forested area near Gaurikund. Authorities suspect adverse weather conditions were the main cause. The aircraft caught fire upon impact, leaving victims’ bodies badly burned.
Among the deceased were pilgrims from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, as well as an Army veteran pilot with over 15 years of experience. The crash comes just days after another helicopter in the same region was forced to make an emergency landing on June 7, and after a deadly Air India jet disaster on June 12 in Gujarat.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a formal inquiry and suspended helicopter services in the Kedarnath Valley until Monday. He emphasized that only pilots with experience in high-altitude Himalayan terrain should be allowed to fly in the region. This is the fifth such incident in the past six weeks, highlighting persistent safety concerns amid unpredictable weather and challenging flying conditions
