PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
A helicopter carrying pilgrims to Kedarnath made an emergency landing on the road in Rudraprayag district on Saturday. According to official sources, the chopper which was carrying five pilgrims made a hard landing on the Guptkashi-Gaurikund highway near Barasu, causing damage to a parked car and also resulting in the breaking of the tail portion of the aircraft. None of the passengers or other members of the public were injured in the mishap.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter operated by Kestrel Aviation Private Limited had taken off from Sirsi with pilgrims for Kedarnath. The pilot had to make an emergency landing on a road due to a mechanical glitch. None of the passengers on board or any member of the public was injured in the mishap. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been informed about the incident. The other shuttle services on the route are operating as per the schedule, according to UCADA.
It is pertinent to mention here that eight companies are operating helicopter services to Kedarnath this year. Apart from ferrying pilgrims to and from Kedarnath, the helicopter services have so far also transported emergency medical cases from the high altitude shrine for necessary medical treatment.
