Six people including two Indian Air Force pilots and four others on board an IAF Mi-17 helicopter escaped unhurt on Tuesday after it crashed 20 metres before landing at the Kedarnath helipad on Tuesday morning. No casualties have been reported, said Rudraprayag superintendent of police Prahlad Narayan Meena, adding that IAF's MI 17 chopper reportedly caught fire after it hit an iron girder and crashed while landing at the helipad behind the Kedarnath shrine.
Sources said that one of the pilots had injured his leg while the injuries others sustained were minor, adding that the helicopter, which was flying low, had collided with a cable and crashed.
Sources further informed that the helicopter was being used to carry construction materials of irrigation department from Guptkashi to Kedarnath for the construction work underway at the temple township of Kedarnath which surrounds the shrine. it should be mentioned here that the narrow Kedarnath Valley makes flying helicopters through the valley all the more challenging.
After the crash, smoke was seen billowing out from chopper. labourers, employees and police personnel rushed to the helipad and all the six people on board were helped out safely.
It is learnt that the crash took place shortly before the chopper was to reach the touchdown area of the helipad. Sources further said that the chopper was carrying mechanical equipment from Guptkashi to Kedarnath during its second round when the crash occurred at around 8.30 am. It is pertinent to mention here that this is not the first incident of an Mi-17 helicopter crashing in the Kedarnath valley following the 2013 disaster. An Mi-17 being used in the relief operations had crashed near Gaurikund leading to the death of 19 people on board during 2013.