Seven people, including a two-year-old child and the pilot, have died in a helicopter crash in Uttarakhand, northern India, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter, registered VT-BKA, was flying from Kedarnath—a key stop along the popular Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route—when it went missing around 05:00 local time. “At around 05:00, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham, could not be located,” the CEO of Uttarakhand’s Civil Aviation Department said.
Shortly afterwards, the helicopter was found to have crashed near Gaurikund. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aircraft was carrying five passengers, a child, and one crew member on its way to Guptkashi. All were confirmed dead at the scene.
According to the BBC, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation said the chopper had departed just after 05:15. Rescue teams, including local police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were immediately dispatched and have completed recovery operations.
In a post on X, Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, called the crash “very sad news” and confirmed that relief and rescue operations were underway. He said an inquiry had been ordered into the cause of the accident.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will lead the probe into the crash.
In response to the incident, a high-level meeting of state officials has ordered the suspension of helicopter services along the pilgrimage route until Monday. Dhami said services would only resume after all operators are reviewed and the flying experience of pilots in high-altitude regions is re-evaluated.
He further directed the implementation of a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for helicopter operations, with a new command and coordination centre to be established in Dehradun for enhanced oversight.
“The negligence at whatever level has been committed will be identified and punitive action will be ensured,” the chief minister said.
He added that Rudraprayag’s district administration had been instructed to reach out to the families of the victims and ensure proper arrangements are made to transport their bodies to their home states.
Bansidhar Tripathi, Uttarakhand’s director-general of information, noted that “three emergency landings and two helicopter crashes in the past month and a half” have occurred along the Char Dham Yatra route, raising fresh safety concerns over aviation operations in the region.
The Char Dham Yatra—comprising the sacred sites of Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath—draws hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year. The surge in visitors has fuelled demand for helicopter services, especially among those seeking to avoid the physically demanding mountain treks.
This is coming a few days after a London-bound Air India flight crashed just after takeoff in Ahmedabad, killing at least 242 people.