A major tragedy was averted in the Kedarnath Valley on Saturday afternoon when a helicopter carrying six people, including five devotees, made an emergency landing on a highway due to a technical snag shortly after takeoff. While all five devotees on board escaped unhurt, the pilot sustained injuries.

The helicopter, operated by Crystal Aviation Private Limited, one of the service providers facilitating pilgrim travel to the Chardham shrines, was forced to land immediately after taking off from the Sirsi Helipad near Guptkashi in the Kedar Valley.

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The aircraft developed a technical fault just moments into the flight, necessitating an emergency landing on a highway adjacent to the helipad, as it could not return to the helipad.

According to officials from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the pilot was injured during the landing and was rushed to a nearby hospital. His condition is reported to be stable.

Fortunately, the five devotees headed for the Kedarnath shrine were rescued safely. During the landing, the helicopter’s tail struck a car parked on the roadside, causing damage but no casualties.

UCADA officials stated that the cause of the forced landing is under investigation. They also confirmed that the incident has not impacted scheduled flight operations from the Sirsi helipad and other nearby locations.

It is noteworthy that two helicopters belonging to private service providers have crashed in the Kedar Valley this Chardham season, resulting in the deaths of six devotees. In addition, three emergency landings have been reported in the past month.