Key Points

He called it a matter of grave concern, urging the government to urgently review and tighten helicopter safety protocols in the area.

"This is a very serious matter. Such incidents keep happening there repeatedly, and I don’t understand why the authorities don’t strengthen the safety norms," said Patil.

"I believe that in the last two years, there have been about five such major accidents, with many lives lost on a large scale, yet the helicopter business continues to operate in that area," he added.

The helicopter crash in Rudraprayag's Gaurikund area in Uttarakhand took place around 5.20 a.m. in a densely wooded zone between Gaurikund and Sonprayag, specifically in the remote area of Gauri Mai Khark.

As soon as the incident was reported, rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF commander Arpan Yaduvanshi.

Meanwhile, Swami Sadanand Saraswati Maharaj said, "A tragic incident has occurred once again. We must learn from such accidents. In the past, our ancestors undertook pilgrimages to these ancient holy sites on foot. Today, with increased facilities, we rely on modern conveniences for religious journeys, which is good, but there is a great need for caution and safety..."

A team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the helicopter crash site and recovered all seven charred bodies.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police were also involved in the rescue operations.

All seven people on board a helicopter en route from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi were killed when the chopper crashed and went up in flames in a forested area near Gaurikund.

Among the deceased was a 23-month-old child.

The ill-fated aircraft, a Bell 407 with registration VT-BKA, operated by Aryan Aviation, was flying on the sector 'Shri Kedarnath ji - Aryan Helipad, Guptkashi' when it crashed during its brief 10-minute flight.

- IANS