Kedarnath helicopter crash: Chopper falls off mid-air amidst an airlift by Indian army's MI-17 helicopter

A helicopter being airlifted by a Mi-17 aircraft to Gauchar airstrip for repairs crashed in Kedarnath on Saturday.

The helicopter, which had to make an emergency landing due to a technical fault, was being transported when the Mi-17 began losing balance from the helicopter's weight and wind.

"There was a plan to take the helicopter to Gauchar airstrip on Saturday, with the help of Mi-17 aircraft, for repair. As soon as it covered a little distance, the Mi-17 started losing balance due to the weight of the helicopter and wind, due to which the helicopter had to be dropped near Tharu camp. There was no passenger or luggage on the helicopter. The rescue team reached the spot as soon as the information was received. The team is inspecting the situation," District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey stated.



The SDRF also issued a statement on the incident reported early Saturday morning.

"Today, the SDRF rescue team received information through Police post 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. Search is being conducted by the SDRF team," according to SDRF.