The recent helicopter crash near Kedarnath has brought immense grief, claiming the lives of all seven people on board. Among those who perished in the tragic incident was the pilot, Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan. The Aryan Aviation helicopter, en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed near Gaurikund early Sunday morning, reportedly due to adverse weather conditions.

Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a resident of Jaipur, was an experienced aviator. According to reports, Captain Chauhan had served in the army for 14 years and had recently retired as Lieutenant Colonel. He had over 2000 hours of flying experience. He joined Aryan Aviation company last year. Tragically, just two months prior to the crash in October 2022, Captain Chauhan became a father to twins. His wife, Deepika, is also a pilot. The family originally hails from Dausa district.

The helicopter, belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from Kedarnath around 5:20 AM. Shortly after takeoff, authorities lost contact with the aircraft. The crash occurred in a remote, forested area near Gaurikund, making rescue efforts challenging.

The other victims of the crash included pilgrims from various parts of India. Rajkumar Jaiswal (41), Shradha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35), and their 23-month-old child, Kashi, from Maharashtra, as well as Vikram (46), from Rudraprayag, and Vinod Dev (66), and Tusti Singh (29), from Uttar Pradesh, were among those who lost their lives.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences and has ordered an investigation into the incident. He acknowledged the extremely distressing news of the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. He added that SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations.

Preliminary investigations suggest that inclement weather may have been a contributing factor to the crash. Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar stated that the crash occurred above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility caused by bad weather. The Aryan Aviation chopper crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire. Inspector General (Garhwal Range) Rajiv Swaroop confirmed the crash site was in a very remote area.

In the wake of the accident, helicopter services operating in the Char Dham region have been temporarily suspended. The decision was jointly taken by UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). The Chief Minister has also instructed the Chief Secretary to form a committee of technical experts. This committee will comprehensively review all safety and technical aspects of heli operations and draft new SOPs.

This recent tragedy marks the fifth such incident in the Kedarnath region since the opening of the temple portals on May 2nd. It has raised concerns about the safety of helicopter operations in the area and has prompted calls for stricter safety regulations.