7 killed in Kedarnath chopper crash: What caused the accident? Who were the victims?

Seven people died after a helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning.

This is the sixth helicopter crash reported on the Char Dham route in the state in just about 40 days.

The helicopter was on its way from the Kedarnath shrine to Guptkashi when it went down in a forested area between Gaurikund and Sonprayag. On board were six pilgrims, five adults and a child, along with the pilot.

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The pilgrims who died in the crash were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

But what caused the crash? Who was the pilot? And what do we know about the victims?

Here’s a look at all the details:

Kedarnath chopper crash: What happened? What caused it?

Seven people, five adults, a child and the pilot, died in the crash after the helicopter took off from Guptkashi at 5:10 am and landed at Shri Kedarnath Ji helipad at 5:18 am.

The chopper took off again at 5:19 am for Guptkashi but crashed near Gaurikund shortly after.

Visuals from the site showed the helicopter wreckage engulfed in flames in an open field. The crash took place between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan while it was returning from the shrine.

Officials said the helicopter was operated by Aryan Aviation. They suspect poor weather conditions may have led to the accident.

Inspector General (Garhwal Range) Rajiv Swaroop told Hindustan Times that the crash happened in a remote area.

While the exact cause of the crash is still not clear, reports suggest that weather might have led to the tragedy.

Following the crash, all helicopter services to the four shrines on the Char Dham route have been suspended.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the helicopter took off despite the weather looking bad. “To navigate the weather, the helicopter gained altitude, and then the incident happened," they said.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were sent to carry out rescue operations after the crash.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident and said that the SDRF and other rescue teams were working on the ground.

“Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers," he wrote on X.

After the crash, the Chief Minister has issued strict directions regarding helicopter operations in the state.

Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan: Who was the pilot?

Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, who was flying the helicopter that crashed near Kedarnath, was among the seven people who lost their lives in the incident.

Officials said Captain Chauhan had become a father to twins just two months ago. His wife is a serving officer in the Indian Army.

A resident of Jaipur, Chauhan had served in the Indian Army for over 15 years.

He was experienced in flying across various terrains and had been working with Aryan Aviation Private Ltd since October 2024.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Chauhan had been involved in multiple aerial operations, trained to fly and maintain different types of helicopters.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma called the death of the pilot from his state and the other passengers in the crash “extremely sad”.

Uttarakhand chopper crash: Who were the other victims?

Besides the pilot, those on board included Vikram Rawat (45) from Rasi in Ukhimath, Uttarakhand; Vinod Devi (66) and Trishti Singh (19), both from Uttar Pradesh; Rajkumar Jaiswal (41) and his wife Shraddha Jaiswal (35) from Maharashtra; and their two-year-old child.

Shraddha and Rajkumar’s son, Vivaan, survived the crash as he had stayed back in Pandharkawda with his grandfather and did not travel with them.

Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey told ANI that Vikram Rawat was a staff member of the Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).

Local residents collecting fodder in the area were the first to spot the wreckage and alert authorities. All the bodies have now been recovered.

Inspector General Rajiv Swaroop told NDTV that DNA testing will be carried out to identify the bodies before they are handed over to the families.

5th accident in 6 weeks on Char Dham route: What we know

This is the fifth helicopter-related accident since the Kedarnath temple reopened its doors to pilgrims.

Following the latest crash, helicopter services to the Char Dham sites will now run at reduced frequency as a safety measure. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also begun operational checks and stepped-up monitoring, according to an official statement.

On June 7, a helicopter operated by a private company crash-landed in the Badasu area of Rudraprayag district, shortly after taking off from the Sirsi helipad. The chopper, which was carrying five pilgrims to Kedarnath, lost its tail during landing. Notably, no one was injured.

After Sunday’s tragedy, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued firm directions concerning chopper operations in the state. According to ANI, he has asked for a strict standard operating procedure (SOP) to be put in place for all helicopter services in Uttarakhand.

Dhami also suggested the creation of a control and command centre and called for strict action against those found responsible for the accident.

With inputs from agencies