DEHRADUN: As many as 7 passengers- three tourists each from Chennai and Bhawnagar Gujarat and a pilot- were killed in a private helicopter after it crashed near Garud Chatti in the pilgrimage Chardham circuit of Kedarnath today at 12: PM in Uttarakhand.
Among the ill-fated victims is identified as pilot Anil Singh 57. Three tourists - Rubi Barad, 25, Kriti Barad, 30, Purva Ramanuj belong to Bhawnagar, Gujarat.
Three other tourists – Sujata, 56, Kala, 50, Prem Kumar, 63- who died in the chopper crash belong to Anna Nagar, Chennai.
According to the director general of police Uttarakhand the helicopter belongs to Aryan aviation.
The pilgrims were on their way back from Rudraprayag, Kedarnath to Guptkashi when the chopper crashed near Garud Chatti at around 12:00 PM.
As soon as the police got the information regarding the accident, the rescue team comprising NDRF and distich administration rushed to the smoldering wreckage site, DGP said.
But all the onboard passengers were dead, with the chopper having reduced to a small heap of ash. The police is probing the cause of the crash.
Uttarakhand government has launched the heli-taxi service to facilitate tourists to Chardham yatra. But the recent crash has raised question on the safety of the passengers.
Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen, (Retd) Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami have expressed their shock over the accident and condoled the death of seven people, expressing sympathy with the bereaved families.