Three From Maharashtra Among 7 Killed In Helicopter Crash Near Kedarnath; Char Dham Heli Service Halted
Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand), 15th June 2025: In a tragic incident early Sunday morning, a helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation crashed near Gaurikund while returning from Kedarnath temple, killing all seven people on board — including a two-year-old child from Maharashtra and the pilot.
The crash occurred around 5:20 AM, shortly after the helicopter took off with devotees on board. Preliminary reports suggest bad weather as the likely cause of the accident. Rescue operations involving NDRF and SDRF teams were launched from Gaurikund.
The deceased have been identified as:
- Pilot Rajveer Singh Chauhan (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
- Vikram Singh Rawat (Ukhimath, Uttarakhand)
- Vinod Devi (Uttar Pradesh)
- Trishti Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
- Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (Maharashtra)
- Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal (Maharashtra)
- Kashi Rajkumar Jaiswal (2) (Maharashtra)
The Jaiswal family hailed from Wani in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. They had gone on a pilgrimage with other relatives.
Deeply pained by the tragic accident where passengers lost their lives in a helicopter crash near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand this morning while travelling from Kedarnath to Guptkashi.
Among the victims were devotees from Maharashtra as well.
I express my deepest condolences to the…— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) June 15, 2025
IG Garhwal Range Rajiv Swaroop said the bodies were charred in the crash-induced fire, making identification difficult. “The bodies will be handed over to the families only after DNA verification is completed,” he stated.
Expressing grief over the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said: “Sad news has come in from Rudraprayag about the helicopter crash. Relief and rescue operations are ongoing with the help of SDRF and local authorities. I pray for the safety of all involved.”
Following the tragedy, the Char Dham Yatra helicopter service has been suspended. The Chief Minister also announced that stricter regulations would be implemented for heli services in the region.
“Going forward, it will be mandatory to assess weather conditions thoroughly and conduct technical inspections before every flight,” CM Dhami said.
A Troubling Pattern of Helicopter Incidents in Uttarakhand
This is the third helicopter-related incident in Uttarakhand within just over a month, raising concerns about aviation safety in the high-altitude pilgrimage zone.
- June 7: A helicopter made an emergency landing in Rudraprayag due to a technical fault. It crashed onto a car, damaging property but causing no injuries.
- May 17: An air ambulance crashed in Kedarnath during landing. The pilot, doctor, and nurse onboard survived. A tail boom failure led to the accident.
- May 8: A private helicopter en route to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi, killing six people, including a mother-daughter duo from Bareilly. The chopper belonged to Aerotrance Services Pvt Ltd of Gujarat.
Aviation Tragedy in Gujarat: 241 Killed
This crash comes just days after a devastating Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which claimed 241 lives. The lone survivor remains hospitalized. Among the deceased were 169 Indian nationals, 52 from the UK, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian.
