Mumbai, June 15 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday expressed grief over the tragic helicopter crash in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district that killed all seven people on board, including a toddler.

The chopper, en route from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, crashed and burst into flames in a densely forested area near Gaurikund early Sunday morning.

The ill-fated flight, a Bell 407 helicopter with registration number VT-BKA operated by Aryan Aviation, was flying a short 10-minute route between Shri Kedarnath ji and the Aryan Helipad in Guptkashi when the incident occurred.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis extended his condolences over the loss of lives, particularly the three victims from his state.

In his message on X, he wrote, “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 bereaved families. We stand in solidarity with all those affected.”

According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the victims included six pilgrims — five adults and a 23-month-old child — hailing from various states, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

The deceased were identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, a pilot from Jaipur; Vikram Rawat, an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC); Vinod Devi and her granddaughter Trushti Singh, a pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh; and a family of three from Maharashtra — Rajkumar Jaiswal, his wife Shradha Jaiswal, and their daughter Kashi Jaiswal.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also took to X and offered her condolences over the tragic accident.

Taking to social media platform X, Mamata Banerjee said, “Most distressingly, another civil aviation tragedy reported today morning, this time from Uttarakhand, in the Kedarnath – Gaurikund – Guptakashi region. 7 people were on board in the helicopter including a child and the pilot, and there has been a reported crash with worst being feared by media. While we await the results of rescue and search operations, my prayers go out for each one on board.”

In response to the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken precautionary steps by reducing the frequency of helicopter services to Char Dham.

The agency is also conducting enhanced surveillance of helicopter operations in the region and is reviewing all procedures for potential safety upgrades.

The tragic crash has once again raised concerns about the safety of helicopter operations in Uttarakhand’s treacherous high-altitude zones, particularly during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.

–IANS

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