Survivors, locals slam Dhami govt – “Stop chopper yatras before it becomes a death corridor again.”
DEHRADUN:Twelve years after the terrifying night of June 16, 2013 — when a cloudburst and glacial lake burst turned Kedarnath into a graveyard — another disaster has jolted the sacred valley.
This time, it's not floodwaters, but fire from the skies.
Chopper Down, 7 Dead
On June 15, a Bell-407 helicopter ferrying pilgrims to Kedarnath from Sirsi crashed near Junglechatti.
All 7 people, including a toddler, died as the chopper burst into flames in mid-air. It’s the fifth such crash in the past 39 days on the Kedarnath aerial route.
“The fog swallowed the sound. Then came fire. It was like a divine warning we ignored,” said Shyamlal Rawat, a pony handler who saw the crash happen.
“People ran uphill shouting ‘bachao, bachao’, but there was nothing left to save.”
Survivors: "This Isn’t Yatra, This Is Yamraj Ka Marg"
“We took a helicopter from Phata, and our pilot turned around mid-way saying weather was unsafe,” says Neetu Mishra of Ayodhya, who narrowly escaped disaster the same day as she could not get the seat.
“If IMD warned about weather, why was that other flight even allowed? Why are yatris flying blind?”
Sunil Tiwari, a survivor from the 2013 Kedarnath floods, now volunteering for Yatra control, broke down while speaking: “I survived that flood. I saw bodies floating. Now I’m watching them fall from the sky. We’ve learned nothing.
Disaster After Disaster
Uttarakhand is bleeding — one disaster at a time.
2013 GLOF: Over 4,000 missing, 169 confirmed dead, 2,500 homes lost
2024: 1,813 landslides, 82 deaths
2025 so far: 5 helicopter crashes, 55 people dead in disasters
IMD forecast: 11% above-normal rainfall for July 2025
Even in May 2025, a landslide killed 1 and injured 5 on the Kedarnath highway.
Locals to Dhami: “Monsoon Is Not a Pilgrimage Season”
“The government is drunk on darshan business. They want chopper tourism, not faith,” said Nandan Singh, a porter from Gaurikund.
“CM Dhami must halt all helicopter services immediately and not allow any Yatra if IMD says rain’s coming. Why wait for the next fireball?”
Demands Mounting:
Immediate halt to helicopter yatras during monsoon
No Yatra when IMD forecasts rainfall
Install early warning weather systems at helipads
Use only twin-engine helicopters with experienced pilots
Mandatory daily safety audits of chopper operators
What Are the Authorities Saying?
Despite massive criticism, the Char Dham Shrine Board and Uttarakhand government maintain that safety protocols are being reviewed. Chopper operators have been suspended and audits ordered — but only after five crashes.
Meanwhile, the public outcry grows.
Loud and Clear: Yatra Yes, But Not At The Cost of Lives
As monsoon clouds build again over Kedarnath, survivors, locals, and yatris are asking one simple question: Will the government act now, or issue condolences later — again?
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