Pilot Dead, CM Orders Probe In Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: 10 Things To Know

A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Uttarakhand’s Phata crashed on Tuesday.

All seven people on board including the pilot were killed in the crash after the helicopter collided with a hill amid low visibility in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag.

Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: 10 Things To Know

• The helicopter, carrying pilgrims, crashed right after the takeoff from the Kedarnath shrine near Garud Chatti in Rudraprayag at around 11.40 am, officials said.
• According to primary reports, the chopper, owned by Delhi-based Aryan Aviation Private Limited, was travelling back from Kedarnath when it crashed just a few minutes after it took off, reports The Indian Express.
• The chopper was said to have burst into flames amid fog and poor visibility. Initial investigation suggests bad weather caused the crash.
• Aviation regulator sources said loud noise was heard before the helicopter caught fire near Garud Chatti. "A Bell 407 helicopter VT-RPN belonging to a Delhi-based Aryan Aviation has crashed on the way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, possibly due to cloudy weather," sources told NDTV.
• Soon after recuse operations began and visuals from the spot showed a massive plume of smoke. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the district police carried out a joint search and rescue operation at the accident site.
• "Bodies of six pilgrims and a pilot have been recovered," said C Ravi Shankar, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority.
• Those travelling on the helicopter have been identified as Purva Ramanuj, Kriti, Urvi, Sujata, Prem Kumar, Kala, and pilot Anil Singh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia expressed shock and tweeted about the accident.
• Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a detailed inquiry into the crash.
• Scindia called the accident unfortunate and said they are in constant touch with the Uttarakhand state government.

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