Helicopter being airlifted by MI-17 crashes in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath

In a dramatic moment captured on camera, a helicopter that had previously malfunctioned, and was being transported by an MI-17 chopper, crashed in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath on Saturday morning.

In a visual shared by PTI, the crashed helicopter is seen dangling mid-air before coming down.

There is no report of any injury or loss of life.

According to Amar Ujala, the chopper was operated by a private company, and is the same one that was involved in yet another incident that was caught on camera. On May 24, it had made an emergency landing near Kedarnath.

“On Saturday morning, an MI-17 of the Indian Air Force was airlifting the chopper to the Gauchar landing strip for repair work. However, due to the air pressure, as well as the smaller helicopter’s weight, the MI-17 began losing its balance. Near Tharu camp, the IAF pilot decided to air drop the coptor,” the newspaper quoted district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey, as saying.

Chaubey added that the MI-17 pilot released the chopper at a point in the valley where there was no human settlement.

“A rescue team was rushed to the site. It is taking stock of the situation. We request people to refrain from spreading rumours regarding fatalities or injuries in the accident,” the tourism officer stated further.

In the May 24 incident, seven people, including six pilgrims, had a close shave after the helicopter tried to land at the helipad in Kedarnath, but failed due to a technical issue. However, thanks to quick thinking by the pilot, it managed to make emergency landing in an open field, only a few metres away from the helipad.

In recent months, the hill state has seen an unprecedented rush of devotees on account of the Char Dham Yatra. This year, the pilgrimage commenced on May 10.