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

A helicopter ferrying Hindu pilgrims from a shrine crashed on Sunday in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India, killing all seven on board including the pilot, local media reported.

"Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district," state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X.

He added that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local officials and rescue teams had started relief operations.

The helicopter took off around 5:20 am local time (2350 GMT) and crashed soon during its 10-minute journey. 

Officials said the crash was followed by a fire which badly burnt the bodies.

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority said the helicopter had been traveling from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi and added that one of the passengers was a 2-year-old girl.

It dispatched a team to the crash site to investigate the reason behind the crash. 

Locals who had gone to collect fodder for their cattle spotted the helicopter debris and alerted the authorities, Indian news magazine The Week reported.

District tourism official Rahul Chaubey told media it was very likely that the accident was caused due to bad weather.

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

The dead were Indians from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

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

Helicopter safety in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is a popular tourist destination with its mountains and greenery. It is also a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus with several temples and holy sites.

Kedarnath is one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines and is flocked by pilgrims during summer.

A cottage industry has emerged to fly wealthy pilgrims to Himalayan shrines while avoiding arduous trekking. The helicopter that crashed on Sunday belonged to a private firm called Aryan Aviation.

Helicopters are a convenient way to commute in the difficult terrain, but high-altitude flying and unpredictable weather make cause mishaps. 

In May, a helicopter on the way to Gangotri Dham in the state had crashed, killing six. Another helicopter had to make an emergency landing in June, where the pilot sustained injuries.

India recently suffered a deadly flight crash in the city of Ahmedabad, killing 270.

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).

CM 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.