Close call for 3 as heli ambulance makes emergency landing in Kedarnath

Rudraprayag: A ‘Sanjeevani’ heli ambulance operated by AIIMS, Rishikesh on Saturday made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath after developing a technical snag, an official said.

Two doctors and a pilot on board the helicopter are safe, District Tourism Development Officer Rahul Chaubey said.

The Sanjeevani heli ambulance had gone to Kedarnath to rescue a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress when it developed a technical snag in its tail rotor forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing, said Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for the Heli Service said.

The heli ambulance’s tail rotor broke when it was making an emergency landing on a flat surface close to the helipad, he said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the incident, Choubey said.

The heli ambulance was coming to Kedarnath from AIIMS Rishikesh to rescue a patient, Shree Devi.

Before landing on the main helipad of Kedarnath, the helicopter developed some technical fault. Realizing it on time, the pilot thought it best to land on a flat surface just before the helipad. However, the helicopter’s tail rotor broke during landing, the official said.