Helicopter enroute to Guptkashi from Kedarnath with 7 onboard crashes in Uttarakhand

A helicopter travelling from Kedarnath to Guptkashi had gone missing on Sunday near Gaurikund, Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order, Dr V Murugeshan, later confirmed that the missing helicopter had crashed.

The accident claimed lives of six passengers (5 adults and 1 child) onboard and the pilot.


The helicopter VTBKA/BELL 407 was enroute to Guptkashi from Kedarnath crashed near Gaurikund at 5.20 am.

As per Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the passengers in the helicopter are from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. "In view of relief and rescue, NDRF and SDRF teams have been dispatched to the site of the incident," the authority said.

The incident took place while the helicopter was returning from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, a major pilgrimage site located in the upper Himalayan region of Uttarakhand and known for its difficult terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X, "Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers."