DEHRADUN, India (BN24) — A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed early Sunday in India’s northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing all seven people on board, including the pilot, officials confirmed. The aircraft, operated by Aryan Aviation, had just departed from the Kedarnath temple area, a major Hindu pilgrimage site, and was en route to Guptkashi when it went down minutes after takeoff.
The crash occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time in a remote, forested region near the Kedarnath pilgrimage corridor. Initial reports suggest that poor weather conditions were the likely cause of the crash. Authorities said a search and rescue operation was immediately launched, though all passengers had already perished by the time emergency responders reached the wreckage.
Among the victims were pilgrims from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned due to a fire that broke out after the helicopter hit the ground.
The crash follows closely on the heels of a separate aviation tragedy in Gujarat, where an Air India Boeing 787 en route to London crashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and 29 on the ground. That accident marked one of the deadliest in India’s aviation history and cast a harsh spotlight on operational and regulatory oversight in the sector.
Sunday’s incident also renews scrutiny on air safety in Uttarakhand’s treacherous high-altitude regions, where helicopters are frequently used to transport pilgrims to sacred sites that are otherwise difficult to reach. Kedarnath, home to one of Hinduism’s most revered shrines, attracts tens of thousands of devotees each year during the summer pilgrimage season. Due to the rugged terrain and limited road access, many opt for brief helicopter rides between temples and nearby towns.
Local disaster management official Nandan Singh Rajwar said protocols for aerial pilgrimage services will be reviewed in the wake of the crash. “Given the growing number of mishaps in this region, we are taking a hard look at weather monitoring and aircraft certification standards,” he said.
Helicopter accidents in the region have become an increasingly frequent hazard. On June 7, a helicopter made an emergency landing on a highway in the Kedarnath Valley due to a technical malfunction; the pilot was injured but all five passengers escaped unharmed. Earlier, on May 8, another helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people including the pilot. One passenger survived.
Officials said Sunday’s crash site was particularly difficult to access due to the steep terrain and dense forest cover, further complicating rescue efforts. A formal investigation has been initiated to determine the precise cause, including whether mechanical failure or pilot error contributed in addition to adverse weather.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation have both been notified and are expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand state authorities have temporarily suspended similar flights in the region pending further safety evaluations.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the pilgrimage season and reignited calls for improved aviation safety standards, particularly for commercial operators in India’s high-risk, mountainous zones.
