On Sunday, a tragic helicopter crash occurred in the Himalayas, resulting in the death of seven individuals, including a young child. This incident unfolded while the helicopter was transporting Hindu pilgrims from the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand state, as reported by disaster response official Nandan Singh Rajwar.
The state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, expressed his sorrow over the event and confirmed that rescue teams were deployed to the crash site. The initial assessment indicated that the crash was likely caused by deteriorating weather conditions, according to district tourism official Rahul Chaubey.
During the summer months, the Kedarnath temple attracts many pilgrims, particularly those who wish to visit the site without engaging in strenuous trekking. Given the temple's high altitude of 3,584 meters, a number of helicopter charter companies have emerged to cater to affluent visitors looking to make the pilgrimage more convenient. Unfortunately, this is not the first helicopter incident connected to the site; a previous crash last month also resulted in six fatalities.
6 Comments
Habibi
It’s a tragedy, but sadly, this shows what happens when profit is prioritised ahead of safety. They were warned, before those flights took place!
ZmeeLove
Terrible news. My thoughts and prayers are with the families. I appreciate that the government is stepping up to help.
Eugene Alta
This is a sad situation. Accidents can happen, and the weather in the Himalayas is extremely unpredictable.
BuggaBoom
It’s terrible news. It has always been dangerous travelling in the Himalayas, it isn’t anyone’s fault. I feel for the families involved.
Rotfront
My heart goes out to everyone involved. Let's be fair, weather conditions are tough to predict.
BuggaBoom
This is tragic. But unfortunately not surprising. We need to stop these helicopter companies!