Six Kedarnath pilgrims, pilot killed in chopper crash
Six Kedarnath pilgrims, pilot killed in chopper crash
Dehradun , Oct 18
Seven Kedarnath pilgrims including a pilot onboard a helicopter were killed after it crashed shortly after take off from Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state on Tuesday.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team officials who were the first to reach the crash site with villagers said that the helicopter, carrying pilgrims, crashed after the takeoff from the Kedarnath shrine near Garud Chatti at 11.40 am. The bodies of six pilgrims and a pilot have been recovered from the site.
President of India Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami have expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families in their messages.
According to officials poor visibility caused by bad weather could be the possible reasons for the crash. An inquiry by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been ordered.
The crashed Bell 407 helicopter belonged to a Delhi-based Aryan Aviation company. The helicopter caught fire after hitting the slopes of the hill. The dead have been identified as Purva Ramanujam,Kirti Brar,Urvi, Sujata,Prem Kumar, Kala and Anil Kumar Singh, the pilot of the ill-fated helicopter.
