Helicopter services on Chardham yatra suspended for two days following fatal crash

Helicopter services along the Chardham yatra route have been suspended for two days following the crash of a chopper, which claimed the lives of seven people on Sunday.

Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held an emergency meeting with senior officials to discuss the situation. He said helicopter services will remain suspended for two days amid poor weather, adding that the safety o the passengers was the governmnt's top priority.

He told officials in the meting to issue a a strict SOP for chopper operations in the state and set up a control and command centre, besides taking action against those responsible for the crash.


"There should not be any laxity regarding compliance with DGCA norms in helicopter operations in the state. It should also be ensured that the pilots flying in the upper Himalayan region are experienced," Dhami said after the emergency meeting.

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Tourism and Civil Aviation Secretary Sachin Kurve, Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA officials attended the meeting held via video conferencing.

Attributing the crash to bad weather, Dhami suspended chopper operation on Sunday and Monday.

"The weather is also bad and the safety of pilgrims is paramount. There will be no heli services today and tomorrow. Aviation companies, DGCA and UCADA have been asked to review the situation thoroughly before resuming heli operations, " he said.

Helicopter crashes or emergency landings have become frequent on the Chardham yatra, which involves Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines.

The latest crash involving an Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd chopper returning from Kedarnath near Guptkashi on Sunday morning is the fifth helicopter accident on the pilgrimage route since the start of the yatra on April 30.