This morning, a helicopter that was previously damaged during a landing at Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand slipped from an MI-17 chopper during a recovery operation and vanished into the hills. It is not yet known if there were any injuries resulting from the incident, which was captured on video.

The accident occurs amid ongoing disruptions to the Kedarnath yatra due to heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand. Although the trek route had been largely suspended throughout August, pilgrims continued to reach the Himalayan temple via helicopter.

Rain-triggered landslides along the route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath had stranded thousands of people, leading to a large-scale rescue effort. This operation, supported by the Air Force’s Chinook and MI-17 helicopters as well as private choppers, aims to assist those affected by the severe weather conditions.