Dehradun, June 15 — A series of helicopter accidents during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has raised serious safety concerns among pilgrims and authorities. The latest incident occurred on Sunday morning, when a helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation crashed over Gaurikund while returning from Kedarnath to Guptkashi. All seven people onboard, including five pilgrims, the pilot, and a representative of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, lost their lives.
This marks the fifth helicopter-related incident since the yatra began on April 30 this year. On June 7, a helicopter from Kestrel Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing on a road due to technical failure shortly after takeoff. A month earlier, on May 8, a helicopter en route to Gangotri crashed in Uttarkashi, killing six people, including five female pilgrims.
On May 12, another helicopter had to make an emergency landing at a school ground in Ukhimath due to poor visibility. On May 17, an AIIMS Rishikesh medical helicopter was also damaged during landing, though all three onboard survived.
State Congress Vice President Suryakant Dhasmana blamed the government for the lack of regulation over helicopter operators. “There is no control or standard operating procedure. Companies are prioritizing profit over passenger safety,” he said. Social activist Anoop Nautiyal echoed the sentiment, asking, “With five accidents in just over a month, will the government now take action or continue ignoring these tragedies?”
Calls are growing for stricter regulations, limiting the number of daily flights, and holding operators accountable for safety lapses to prevent further loss of life.
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