Fifth chopper mishap on Char Dham Yatra route in 6 weeks; helicopter services suspended

Dehradun, June 15: Helicopter crashes and emergency landings are occurring at an alarming frequency along Uttarakhand’s Char Dham Yatra route, sparking concern among devotees and the administration.

The latest tragedy occurred on Sunday morning when an Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd chopper, returning from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund, killing all seven people on board including a two-year-old. This marks the fifth helicopter mishap on the Char Dham pilgrimage route this year alone.

Following the crash, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami convened an emergency meeting and directed senior officials to formulate a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for helicopter operations in the state.

A key focus of the SOP will be mandating thorough technical inspections of all helicopters before deployment.

The Uttarakhand Chief Secretary has been tasked with forming a committee of technical experts to prepare the SOP after a comprehensive review of the safety and operational protocols currently in place.

According to an official statement, the committee will ensure that helicopter operations on pilgrimage routes are “completely safe, transparent, and compliant with prescribed aviation standards”.

Helicopter services on the Char Dham route have been suspended for two days, pending a safety audit. “Operations will resume only after full safety assurance for all passengers. The safety of yatris cannot be compromised,” Chief Minister Dhami said.

He also instructed the committee to investigate Sunday’s crash in detail, along with earlier incidents, and submit a comprehensive report.

The recurring accidents have drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition and civil society groups. State Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana called the situation “deeply troubling”.

“This was the fifth chopper mishap on the Char Dham Yatra route in less than six weeks since the pilgrimage began. It shows the government has no control over the private aviation companies operating in the region. There’s no standard SOP in place. In the mad rush to make money, safety is being thrown to the wind. There’s not even a cap on the number of sorties per day,” Dhasmana said.

Social activist Anoop Nautiyal echoed the concerns. “Just four days ago, the government claimed that new rules would limit helicopters to 3–4 passengers per trip instead of 5–6. Yet here we are again—seven lives lost,” he said.

“If the government doesn't intend to overhaul the system, why make empty promises? Will anyone be held accountable? Will there be any suspensions? Or will we continue witnessing one crash after another?” Nautiyal asked.

PTI