Helicopter crash in Kedarnath: Helicopter crashes in mid-air during an airlift by an Indian Army MI-17 helicopter

The helicopter, which had to make an emergency landing due to a technical defect, was in the middle of transport when the Mi-17 began to lose its balance due to its weight and the wind.

“There was a plan to take the helicopter to Gauchar airstrip for repairs on Saturday with the help of a Mi-17 aircraft. As soon as it covered a small distance, the Mi-17 lost its balance due to the weight of the helicopter and wind, due to which the helicopter had to be put down near Tharu camp. There were no passengers or luggage in the helicopter. The rescue team reached the spot as soon as the information came in. The team is investigating the situation,” said district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey.

The SDRF also issued a statement on the incident reported early Saturday morning.

“Today, the SDRF rescue team received information through Lincholi police station that a broken-down helicopter of a private company, which was being towed by another helicopter from Shri Kedarnath helipad to Gochar helipad, fell into the river at Lincholi near Tharu Camp. The SDRF team has reached the accident site and relief work is underway. No one has lost their lives in this incident. The SDRF team is currently conducting search,” the SDRF said.