A helicopter that was previously damaged during a landing at Kedarnath Dham, Uttarakhand, crashed near the Mandakini River on Saturday. The chopper, which was being airlifted by an MI-17 helicopter to Gauchar airstrip for repairs, slipped from the recovery aircraft and fell near Tharu Camp. No injuries or casualties have been reported, and the incident was captured on camera.
"Today, the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rescue team received information through police in Lincholi that a faulty helicopter of a private company, which was being towed by another helicopter from Shri Kedarnath helipad to Gochar helipad, fell into the river at Lincholi near Tharu Camp. The SDRF team has reached the spot and relief work is going on. There has been no loss of life in this incident," the news agency ANI quoted an official as saying.
Details of the incident
The private company-operated helicopter had made an emergency landing on May 24, 2024, due to a technical fault. District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey explained that the MI-17 helicopter started losing balance due to the weight of the damaged chopper and adverse wind conditions, causing the helicopter to be dropped near Tharu Camp. No passengers or cargo were on board the helicopter at the time.
Rescue and response
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is leading the search and rescue operation at the crash site. According to an SDRF statement, the faulty helicopter, being towed from Kedarnath to Gauchar, fell into the river near Lincholi. The SDRF team has been deployed for relief work, and there have been no reported fatalities.
The crash occurred amidst the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra, which has been disrupted by heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand. Despite the suspension of trekking routes in August, pilgrims have continued to reach the Kedarnath temple via helicopter.
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