Rudraprayag, Jun 7: A private helicopter carrying six passengers en route to the Kedarnath shrine made an emergency landing on a highway in Guptkashi on Saturday after a technical snag was detected mid-air. All passengers are safe, and no injuries have been reported.
The Crystal Aviation chopper was flying from Sirsi to Kedarnath when the pilot noticed a potential fault and decided to land on the Rudraprayag highway as a precaution. Local officials and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed the emergency landing was handled professionally.
“There is no report of any casualty. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed,” UCADA said in a statement. Traffic in the area was briefly affected but resumed after the helicopter was cleared.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident earlier this week, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued two Delhi-based pilgrims—Dharamveer (28) and Shaili Singh (27)—who had gone missing near the Chhoti Lincholi glacier while returning from Kedarnath. The pair had deviated from the marked trail and became stranded on a rocky hillside.
The SDRF acted swiftly following an alert from the Disaster Control Room and successfully rescued the duo. Officials confirmed that other helicopter services in the area continue to operate normally amid the ongoing Yatra season.
