Helicopter carrying pilgrims develops snag, makes emergency landing in Kedarnath
Dehradun (PTI): A helicopter with seven people, including pilgrims, on board made an emergency landing in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath after developing a technical snag early on Friday.
The helicopter landed a few metres from the helipad at the Himalayan temple, an official said.
It was carrying seven people, including six pilgrims and the pilot. Everyone is safe, he said.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar said the helicopter took off from the Sirsi helipad for Kedarnath early on Friday.
It developed a technical snag in its rear motor, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing a few metres from the helipad in Kedarnath, he said citing preliminary reports.
The pilot kept his cool and took a quick decision, averting a major mishap, Gaharwar said.
Everyone is safe and the pilgrims have even returned after having "darshan" at the temple, he added.
The incident occurred around 7 am and further investigations are underway, Gaharwar said.
A Leonardo A119 Koala helicopter owned by Kestrel Aviation, Callsign VT-CLR, lost control at about 0700h today morning as it approached the Kedarnath Helipad for landing in Uttarakhand.
— Ashok Bijalwan अशोक बिजल्वाण 🇮🇳 (@AshTheWiz) May 24, 2024
It was a miraculous escape for the crew and the six passengers onboard the helicopter.
The… pic.twitter.com/9oMEUhDtZY
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New T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav affirms unchanged role for Hardik Pandya
Mumbai: The newly appointed captain of the Indian T20 cricket team, Suryakumar Yadav, confirmed that Hardik Pandya's role in the team would remain unchanged. In a media interaction, Yadav emphasized Hardik's importance to the team and praised his contributions during the 2024 T20 World Cup in England.
"Hardik's role has always been the same. He is a very important player for the team. The way he performed in the World Cup, I hope he will continue to do the same," Suryakumar told PTI.
The announcement of Yadav as the new T20I captain raised questions among fans about his relationship with Pandya, particularly after the close race for captaincy. However, both players respect each other and often bond during training sessions.
Addressing the change of captaincy, Yadav reassured fans that the team's aggressive brand of cricket would only grow stronger.
"The same train will go ahead; only the engine has changed and the bogies remain unchanged," Yadav explained. "Nothing changes; the brand of cricket remains the same. It doesn't change anything. It has given me an added responsibility. It is good that now I can do a 'walk the talk'."
Reflecting on Rohit Sharma's leadership, Yadav expressed his admiration for his predecessor. "What I have learned from Rohit is that he was always a leader on the ground and off it. He was not just a captain, there is a lot of difference between the two. He was a leader who stood in the middle of the group and showed people the way. How to play T20 cricket and how to win a tournament? That is what I have learned from him," he elaborated.
In addition to the captaincy change, Shubman Gill has been declared the vice-captain for both the ODI and T20I teams, replacing Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya will continue as an all-rounder for the T20I series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on July 27.
