Pilot and Father of Infant Twins Among 7 Killed in Kedarnath Helicopter Crash

A Kedarnath-bound helicopter crash claimed seven lives, including pilot Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a Jaipur-based father of infant twins. The tragedy occurred just before landing, marking the fifth such incident on the Char Dham route in 40 days. Authorities are investigating rising safety concerns amid growing air traffic in the region.

A tragic helicopter crash near Kedarnath on Saturday morning claimed the lives of seven individuals, including 37-year-old pilot Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a Jaipur resident and father of four-month-old twins. The chopper, flying from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, crashed in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district shortly before landing.

Rajveer had recently returned to duty just 20 days ago after spending time with his family. His father, Govind Chauhan, shared that the family had been preparing for a jalwa pujan, a Rajasthani ceremony to celebrate the birth of his grandchildren. The celebration was scheduled for June 30. “He became a father after 14 years of marriage. It was going to be a joyous month for us,” Govind said, overwhelmed with grief.

Lt Col Rajveer, who served the Indian Air Force for 14 years, had taken voluntary retirement and joined a private helicopter firm in Dehradun in October last year. His death has cast a shadow over the family and his former comrades.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Youth Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore expressed their condolences, calling Rajveer’s untimely demise a great loss to the state.

The crash also claimed the lives of six others: Rajkumar Jaiswal, Shradha Jaiswal, and their toddler Kashi from Maharashtra; Vikram from Rudraprayag; and Vinod Dev and Tusti Singh from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.

This incident marks the fifth helicopter-related accident on the Char Dham pilgrimage route in under 40 days, raising urgent safety concerns about the growing number of aviation mishaps in the region.

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Authorities have begun an investigation to determine the cause of the crash and review the safety protocols of helicopter operations on the religious circuit.