Helicopter carrying pilgrims makes emergency landing in Kedarnath | Watch video

A helicopter carrying seven people, including pilgrims, on board, made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath after developing a technical snag early on Friday. An official said the chopper landed a few metres from the helipad at the Himalayan temple. 

He informed that all seven people, including six pilgrims and the pilot, are safe. The chopper took off from the Sirsi helipad for Kedarnath early on Friday, said Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar as quoted by PTI. 

Citing preliminary reports, the official said the helicopter developed a technical problem in its rear motor, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing a few metres from the helipad in Kedarnath. Currently, the investigation is underway.

"The pilot kept his cool and took a quick decision, averting a major mishap. Everyone is safe and the pilgrims have even returned after having "darshan" at the temple, Gaharwar said, adding that the incident occurred around 7 am today. 

Kedarnath Dham, revered as a manifestation of Shiva, opened its door for devotees this Akshay Tritiya (May 10) and will likely remain open until Kartik Purnima (November 15). It is one of the pilgrimage tours of Char Dham Yatra. 

The Char Dham Yatra is a pilgrimage tour of the four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. According to the official website of Uttarakhand Tourism, 'char' means four in Hindi, and 'dham' refers to religious destinations. 

This year, as many as 26 lakh devotees have registered for the ongoing Char Dham Yatra from across the country and abroad. This pilgrimage tour, typically held from April-May to October-November, commenced on May 10.

The Uttarakhand government recently extended the ban on VIP darshan until May 31 to ensure that all devotees can easily visit the four Dhams during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.

Chief Secretary, Radha Raturi also issued another order prohibiting videography and the creation of social media reels within a 50-meter radius of the temple complexes in all four Dhams.

(With PTI inputs)