Helicopter services suspended to ensure safety of passengers, says CM Dhami as seven die in Uttarakhand chopper crash

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday warned of strict action against the culprits after seven people were killed in a chopper crash in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district and said that aviation companies have been directed to follow the rules of Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Following the incident, the Chief Minister informed that the Helicopter services will not run for the next two days.

Speaking to ANI, CM Dhami said,” This morning, a helicopter crashed due to bad weather. I pray to God for those who lost their lives.”

Calling for strict compliance with safety norms, the Chief Minister said, “An emergency meeting has been called immediately, in which instructions have been given that the rules of our DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) should not be violated, and the pilots flying in the upper Himalayan areas should have experience of the region. Aviation companies should also ensure this.”

“A control and command centre should be set up. Strict action will be taken against the culprits in this accident… Helicopter services will not run today or tomorrow. These services will remain closed until the safety of the passengers is ensured,” he told ANI.

Earlier this morning, seven people, including the pilot on board a helicopter were killed after the chopper crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said.

The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am today.

The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The incident spot was located in a very inaccessible and dense forest area, where a fast-paced and coordinated rescue operation was carried out by the joint teams of SDRF, NDRF, and local police.

Rescue teams worked in inclement weather to retrieve the bodies of the deceased.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the helicopter crash.

State Chief Secretary, Disaster Management Secretary, UCADA CEO, Garhwal Commissioner and other senior officials were present in the high-level meeting.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated.

The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequencies of helicopter operations to Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure.

Sonika further stated that the District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) will reach the site soon.

“Since the rescue operation is underway and seeing the weather conditions in the valley, our shuttle services have been closed. Almost all the helicopters are involved in the rescue operation. DM and SSP will also reach the site soon,” Sonika told ANI.

“At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, could not be located. After some time, it was learnt that it had crashed near Gaurikund. Rescue operation is underway, SDRF teams have reached the spot. A total of 6 passengers and one pilot were on board the helicopter…” she further said.