Sonprayag–Kedarnath Pilgrimage Halted Over Falling Stones and Debris

The Journey from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand could not be resumed due to falling stones and debris in the gorge near Jangalchatti, Rudraprayag Police said on Sunday.

Moreover, the police asked devotees going to Shri Kedarnath Dham to take care.

"The footpath was obstructed when debris and stones fell into the ravine near Jangalchatti. The pilgrimage from Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham has been postponed till further orders. The district police appeals to the devotees coming to Shri Kedarnath Dham to remain safe wherever they are," Rudraprayag Police Uttarakhand posted on X on Sunday.

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Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami cautioned strict action would be taken against the culprits after a chopper crash in Rudraprayag distict which killed seven people along with instructing aviation companies to follow the rules of Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

After the incident, the helicopter services will be suspended for the next two days, the Chief Minister said.

Speaking to ANI, CM Dhami said," This morning, a helicopter crashed due to bad weather. I pray to God for those who lost their lives."

Calling for strict compliance with safety norms, the Chief Minister said, "An emergency meeting has been called immediately, in which instructions have been given that the rules of our DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) should not be violated, and the pilots flying in the upper Himalayan areas should have experience of the region. Aviation companies should also ensure this."

"A control and command centre should be set up. Strict action will be taken against the culprits in this accident... Helicopter services will not run today or tomorrow. These services will remain closed until the safety of the passengers is ensured," he told ANI.

Earlier in the day, seven people, including a pilot, were killed when the chopper crashed near the forest area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, according to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

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The helicopter from Aryan Aviation, was operating from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi when the crash occurred at 5:30 am today.

The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), a Jaipur resident, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee member, and a Rasi resident, Vinod Devi (66), a Uttar Pradesh resident, Trishti Singh (19), a Uttar Pradesh resident, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), a Gujarat resident, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal, and Kashi (2), a Maharashtra resident.

Rescue teams were immediately assembled and deployed under the command of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The deceased team crashed in a heavily forested, difficult to access area, and a fast-paced combined search and rescue operation was conducted by the SDRF, NDRF, and local police.

Rescue teams were still recovering the dead while still battling bad weather.

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