7 dead in Uttarakhand chopper crash near Kedarnath, Helicopter services suspended across Char Dham shrines (VIDEO)

Dehradun: Seven people are feared dead after a chopper crashed on the Kedarnath road in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand today, an official from the State Disaster Management Authority said.

The accident took place around 5:30 am in the Gaurikund area. The helicopter belonged to the Aryan Aviation Company.

According to preliminary information from the State Disaster Management Authority, inclement weather could have caused the chopper crash.

On receiving information about the incident, the SDRF and NDRF teams rushed to the site and started relief and rescue operations.

Seven dead including an infant in Uttarakhand Chopper crash between Kedarnath and Guptakashi early this morning.

Today, Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter VT-BKA operating flight on sector Shri Kedarnath ji- Aryan Helipad, Guptkanshi, was involved in an accident. There were… pic.twitter.com/COsyBRt2ta

—  (Shubham Raja) (@ShubhamkrRaja) June 15, 2025

Pictures from the Uttrakhand helicopter crash site. All onboard, including the pilot, are feared dead.

Chopper service in all four shrines (entire Char Dham) have been suspended after the accident.#Kedarnath https://t.co/FWpEEjPeI3 pic.twitter.com/Pd9pYlnY9t

— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) June 15, 2025

Following the tragic crash, helicopter operations in the Char Dham region have been banned until further notice. The ban has been imposed by Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UKADA) in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter and taking accurate weather information before the flight should be made mandatory. (Inputs from UNI)