Helicopter makes emergency landing near Kedarnath

A helicopter ferrying pilgrims to the Kedarnath temple made an emergency landing on Monday due to dense fog.

All seven on board- five pilgrims, a pilot and a co-pilot - are safe, Rudraprayag district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.

The helicopter belonging to Trans Himalayan Airways company made the emergency landing on the old trek route to Kedarnath near Garurchatti as the visibility dropped to zero due to dense fog, he said.

The incident occurred when the helicopter was on its way to the Himalayan temple and it has now returned to Guptkashi.

Clear weather after the monsoon has seen a sudden rush of pilgrims to the Himalayan shrine, with many booking their seats in helicopters days in advance to reach the temple.