Kedarnath Helicopter Crash: DGCA, AAIB to probe the Bell 407 chopper accident

Teams from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and aviation watchdog DGCA will be looking into the Tuesday fatal helicopter crash near Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, as per PTI's report. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently punished the unfortunate helicopter's operator, Aryan Aviation, with Rs 5 lakh for a number of regulatory infractions.  The AAIB and DGCA teams have already departed for the location, according to the senior DGCA official. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it is an accident, and the AAIB will be looking into the matter, the official noted.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will also be investigating the accident. The chopper - Bell 407 (VT-RPN) - operated by Aryan Aviation, burst into flames at around 11.45 am at Dev Darshini in Garud Chatti, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh said.

Also read: Kedarnath Helicopter Crash: How bad weather can result in a deadly air disaster? EXPLAINED

The chopper crashed at Garud Chatti, nearly 2 km from the Kedarnath Dham shrine ,and caught fire. Soon after the tragic incident, the administration team left for relief and rescue work. A team has been dispatched to the accident spot to carry out relief operations, informed officials. Fog and poor visibility are said to be the reason for the crash.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia tweeted that the ministry is in touch with the state government and is constantly monitoring the situation. "The helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely unfortunate. We are in touch with the State government to ascertain the magnitude of the loss, and are constantly monitoring the situation," Scindia said in a tweet.

After the news of the tragic incident broke out, President Droupadi Murmu condoled the demise of people who died when their helicopter crashed in Phata. "The news of the death of many pilgrims including the pilot in the helicopter crash near Kedarnath Dham is very sad. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones," the president said on Twitter.

With inputs from PTI