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A reconstruction employee was successful in capturing a video of the recent crash of an Indian Air Force cargo helicopter in Kedarnath. The video clip showing the IAF chopper approaching the pilgrimage centre and colliding seconds after touching the ground had gone viral.
Not many videos of aircraft crashes have been successfully filmed in India. But the man — known as Bahadur as all Nepali workers are termed in Kedarnath — who filmed this video will remain a mystery forever. The local police put a ban on sharing photos and videos of the accident, but the action came late because by that time the video got shared on many social media platforms to become an instant hit. Due to the fear of any police action against the reconstruction staffer who took the video, the identity of Bahadur will never become public.
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An MI-17 of the Indian Air Force was ferrying reconstruction material from Guptkashi to Kedarnath on 3 April morning. Bahadur was busy working near the landing ground. Out of idle curiosity, he began filming the chopper approaching on his mobile phone. The 47 second video shows the IAF chopper descending and crashing.
As soon as the mishap took place everybody rushed to rescue the IAF pilot, co-pilot and four co-passengers. But the rare video got shared among the reconstruction workers and later with their friends living in other parts of Uttarakhand and India. As news about the air crash and photo began to appear on TV news channels and news websites, the Ruderprayag police jumped into action and imposed a ban. The internet connectivity of Kedarnath was barred and restrictions were imposed on sharing photos and videos of the accident. But it was a little late to take such action.
The video now acts as vital digital evidence in the chopper crash. It will help in the IAF inquiry into the incident. The effort of the videographer remains unrecognised. Over 600 reconstruction staff are engaged in revamp work in Kedarnath.
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