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A catastrophic helicopter crash in the early hours of Sunday morning has claimed the lives of seven people, including a highly decorated Indian Army veteran, near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district.

The tragic incident unfolded shortly after a Bell 407 helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from the Kedarnath shrine at 5:19 AM en route to Guptkashi. Minutes later, the chopper went down in a dense, fog-shrouded forest between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan, erupting into flames upon impact. Rescue teams reached the wreckage swiftly, but all seven people on board were pronounced dead at the scene.

Among the victims was Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a 37-year-old veteran pilot from Jaipur's Shastri Nagar. With more than 15 years of service in the Indian Army, Chauhan was known for his calm leadership and skill in difficult flying conditions. He had joined Aryan Aviation in October 2024, shortly after retiring, and was stationed in Dehradun.

Just 20 days ago, Chauhan had returned to work after the birth of his twin children. The family was preparing for a traditional ceremony for the newborns at the end of June. His wife, also serving in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, is said to be "devastated" by the shocking loss.

The six other victims were identified as:

• Rajkumar Jaiswal (41)

• Shraddha Jaiswal (35)

• Kashi Jaiswal (2) - a family from Maharashtra

• Vikram Rawat (45) - from Uttarakhand

• Vinod Devi (66) and Trishti Singh (19) - from Uttar Pradesh

Tragically, the Jaiswals' two-year-old daughter died in the crash, while their older son Vivaan was spared - having stayed behind in Maharashtra with his grandfather.

Authorities have blamed poor visibility due to heavy fog and harsh weather for the crash. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed the timeline and deployed SDRF and NDRF teams to the remote crash site, which is difficult to reach due to hilly terrain and thick forest.

Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a high-level probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and temporarily suspended helicopter services on the Char Dham Yatra route. He also directed stricter SOPs and mandatory technical inspections moving forward.

In a dramatic move, Aryan Aviation's operations have been halted, and the flying licenses of its pilots revoked for six months, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Heartfelt tributes poured in from Rajasthan and beyond. Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, former CM Ashok Gehlot, and Union Minister Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore were among those expressing grief.

Rathore posted: "The untimely death of Jaipur's Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan ji is extremely painful. The entire state is with the Chauhan family in this hour of grief."

The crash has once again raised serious concerns about flight safety in India's challenging mountainous regions, with calls for stricter regulation and monitoring to prevent such tragedies in the future.