A helicopter that was damaged during a landing at Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand crashed near the Mandakini River on Saturday while being airlifted by an MI-17 helicopter to Gauchar airstrip for repairs. The chopper slipped from the recovery aircraft and fell near Tharu Camp. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties have been reported, and the incident was captured on video.
According to an official statement quoted by the news agency ANI, “Today, the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rescue team received information through police in 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 ongoing. There has been no loss of life in this incident.”
The private helicopter, operated by a company, had previously made an emergency landing on May 24, 2024, due to a technical fault. District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey explained that the MI-17 helicopter lost balance due to the weight of the damaged chopper and adverse wind conditions, leading to the helicopter being dropped near Tharu Camp. There were no passengers or cargo on board at the time of the crash.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is leading the search and rescue operations at the crash site. The faulty helicopter was being towed from Kedarnath to Gauchar when it fell into the river near Lincholi. The SDRF team has been deployed for relief efforts, and there have been no reported fatalities.
This incident occurred during the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra, which has faced disruptions due to heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand. Despite the suspension of trekking routes in August due to rain-induced landslides, pilgrims have continued to reach the Kedarnath temple via helicopter, and rescue operations are ongoing with assistance from the Air Force’s Chinook and MI-17 helicopters, along with private choppers.
