In Kedarnath, a helicopter carrying seven individuals was forced to make an emergency landing approximately 100 meters from the Kedarnath helipad due to a technical fault. Fortunately, all six passengers and the pilot emerged from the incident unharmed.
Video footage captured the helicopter’s tail spinning moments before the emergency landing, prompting bystanders near the helipad to seek cover.
Helicopter carrying pilgrims develops snag, makes emergency landing in Kedarnath #Helicopter #pilgrims #EmergencyLanding #Kedarnath pic.twitter.com/tKq05GiZti
— Jammu Tribune (@JammuTribune) May 24, 2024
Rudraprayag’s district disaster management officer reported, ‘A helicopter operated by Kestrel Aviation, en route from Sirsi helipad to Sh Kedarnath Dham with six passengers and one pilot, had to perform an emergency landing around 7:05 AM due to technical issues.’
This occurrence coincides with the commencement of the Char Dham Yatra on May 10, marking the opening of three of the four sacred shrines: Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Kedarnath. The doors of Badrinath were opened on May 12.
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The Char Dham Yatra holds immense spiritual significance in Hinduism, typically spanning from April-May to October-November. Tradition dictates that the pilgrimage should be completed in a clockwise direction, starting from Yamunotri, progressing to Gangotri, Kedarnath, and concluding at Badrinath.
To manage the influx of pilgrims, the Uttarakhand government mandated registration for all Chardham Yatra participants. Offline registration in Haridwar and Rishikesh has been discontinued, with devotees now required to register online before embarking on the sacred journey.
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