Dehradun. A helicopter crashed on Tuesday at Garudchatti in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, killing seven people, including six pilgrims.
State Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar said that the pilot was also among those killed in the accident. He told that the victims of the accident were returning after visiting the Kedarnath temple located in Rudraprayag district when their helicopter caught fire on the way. Kumar said the cause of the accident was not immediately known but the accident was probably due to fog.
As soon as the information about the accident was received, along with the State Disaster Response Force, police and district administration teams also reached the spot for rescue work. He said that efforts are being made to identify the victims of the accident.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the accident and ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that his ministry is continuously monitoring the situation. In a tweet, he said, the helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely unfortunate. We are in touch with the state government to ascertain the magnitude of the damage and are continuously monitoring the situation.
A senior civil aviation ministry official said the helicopter involved in the accident was being operated by ‘Aryan Aviation’. (Language)
