Three women from Gujarat, including two from a family in Bhavnagar, are among seven people killed in a helicopter crash near Kedarnath temple on Tuesday. The helicopter was ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi and crashed into a hill due to poor visibility.
The victims from Gujarat have been identified as Kruti Barad, 30, and Urvi Barad, 25, from Bhavnagar, and Purva Ramanuj, 26, from Siroh. The other victims have been identified as Captain Anil Singh, who was piloting the copter, Sujata, 56, Prem Kumar, 63, and Kala Ramesh, 60.
The chopper, Bell 407 (VT-RPN), operated by Aryan Aviation, burst into flames around 11.45 am at Dev Darshini in Garud Chatti, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, disaster response forces of Uttarakhand and Delhi, and police brought the bodies to the Kedarnath helipad.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia condoled the loss of lives. “Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” Modi’s office tweeted.
Also Read: 3 From Gujarat Among 7 Who Died In Kedarnath Chopper Crash
