Helicopter, Being Airlifted By MI-17 Chopper, Crashes In Kedarnath

New Delhi: A helicopter, previously damaged during a landing at the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand, slipped from an MI-17 chopper during a recovery operation and crashed near the Mandakini River. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the accident, which was also caught on camera.

The helicopter, being operated by a private company, was earlier involved in taking passengers to Kedarnath.

The incident comes in the backdrop of the Kedarnath yatra, which has been affected by the heavy rain in Uttarakhand. Though the trek route had remained largely suspended in August, the pilgrims arrived at the Himalayan temple on helicopters.

Rain-induced landslides along the route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath had left thousands of people stranded, prompting the administration to launch a massive rescue operation aided by the Air Force’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters, besides private choppers.