A defective helicopter being transported from Kedarnath to Gauchar by an MI-17 helicopter fell from mid-air this morning after its towing rope snapped.
The private company-operated helicopter crashed near the Mandakini River in Lincholi. According to officials, no injuries were reported in the incident, which was captured on video.
“Today, the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rescue team received a report from the police in Lincholi about a malfunctioning helicopter being towed from the Shri Kedarnath helipad to the Gochar helipad. The helicopter fell into the river near Lincholi, close to the Tharu Camp. The SDRF team is on-site conducting relief operations, and there have been no reported casualties,” ANI quoted an official as saying.
Previously, the helicopter had been used to transport passengers to the Kedarnath temple.
Since July 31, there has been a significant decrease in pilgrim numbers traveling to Kedarnath due to extensive damage to the trek route caused by heavy rains. Rain-triggered landslides between Gaurikund and Kedarnath had stranded thousands, leading to a large-scale rescue operation involving the Air Force’s Chinook and MI-17 helicopters, as well as private choppers.
Although the trek route was largely closed in August, pilgrims continued to reach the temple via helicopter.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced on May 10 with the opening of the Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri temples, and the Badrinath temple opened on May 12. To date, over 3.3 million pilgrims have visited the Himalayan temples.
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WATCH: Helicopter falls mid-air into river during during towing operation in Himalayas
