On the morning of June 15, 2025, a devastating helicopter crash near the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district claimed the lives of seven people, including five pilgrims, the pilot, and an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. The incident, attributed to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions, has sent shockwaves through the region, especially given the frequency of such mishaps during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. In response, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced a two-day suspension of all helicopter services on the pilgrimage route, emphasizing the need for stringent safety measures to protect passengers.
The ill-fated helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from the Kedarnath helipad around 5:20 AM, en route to Guptkashi. Just minutes into its 10-minute journey, the Bell 407 chopper lost contact with authorities and crashed in a forested area near Gaurikund, known as Gauri Mai Khark. Reports indicate the helicopter caught fire upon impact, leaving no survivors. The victims were identified as Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot from Jaipur with 15 years of service as an Indian Army veteran; Vikram Singh Rawat, a representative of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee; Vinood Devi (66) and Tushti Singh (19) from Uttar Pradesh; and a family from Maharashtra—Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35), and their two-year-old daughter, Kashi. Tragically, the Jaiswal family’s son, Vivaan, survived as he stayed back in Maharashtra with his grandfather.
This crash marks the fifth helicopter incident on the Char Dham Yatra route since the pilgrimage began on April 30, 2025. Just a week earlier, on June 7, a Kestrel Aviation helicopter made an emergency landing on a highway in Rudraprayag due to a technical snag, narrowly avoiding disaster. Other incidents include an air ambulance crash near Kedarnath on May 17 and an averted crash in Badrinath on May 12. The alarming frequency of these events—three emergency landings and two fatal crashes in less than six weeks—has raised serious concerns about the safety of helicopter operations in the region.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami acted swiftly, suspending helicopter services for Sunday and Monday, June 15 and 16, to ensure passenger safety amid worsening weather conditions. Following the crash, Dhami convened an emergency meeting with senior officials, including Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan and Tourism Secretary Sachin Kurve, to address the crisis. He directed the formation of a technical expert committee to draft a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for helicopter operations in the state. The proposed SOP will mandate thorough technical inspections of helicopters and real-time weather assessments before flights, aiming to make operations safer and more transparent.
Dhami emphasized that safety is the government’s top priority, stating, “There should be no laxity in complying with DGCA norms. Operations will resume only after full safety assurance for all passengers.” The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also ordered a probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to determine the exact cause of the crash. Additionally, a high-level committee, previously formed to investigate past helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand, has been tasked with thoroughly reviewing this incident alongside earlier ones to submit a comprehensive report.
The Char Dham Yatra, encompassing the shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri, attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually. Helicopter services have become a popular option for those seeking to avoid the arduous treks to these high-altitude sites, with Kedarnath alone seeing around 400 sorties per day during peak season. However, the reliance on helicopters in the rugged Himalayan terrain, coupled with unpredictable weather, has proven increasingly risky. Critics argue that the government has failed to regulate private aviation companies adequately, with some alleging that profit motives have trumped safety concerns.
This latest tragedy underscores the urgent need for systemic changes in how helicopter services are managed in Uttarakhand. As rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) worked at the crash site, the state mourns the loss of seven lives and braces for tougher regulations to prevent future disasters. For now, pilgrims will need to wait until safety measures are reinforced before helicopter services resume.
