Early this morning at about 5:20 am, a helicopter flying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed in a forest between Gaurikund and Sonprayag. Seven people were on board—six pilgrims (five adults and one child) from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, plus the pilot. Sadly, five people died in the accident.
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Uttarakhand helicopter crash | Today, at around 5:20 am, a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has been reported to have crashed near Gaurikund. There were six passengers, including the pilot (5 adults and 1 child). The passengers in the helicopter… pic.twitter.com/AVGtuxWKGj
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2025
Officials from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) say bad weather and a possible technical fault likely caused the crash. Local villagers collecting fodder spotted the wreckage first and alerted authorities. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rushed to the scene.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X (formerly Twitter) that rescue efforts are under way and he is praying for the victims.
This is the fifth helicopter‑related accident since Kedarnath temple reopened on May 2. For example, on June 7 another helicopter had to make an emergency landing on a highway after a technical problem; those passengers survived with only minor injuries to the pilot.
