Himalayan pilgrims survive miraculous helicopter emergency landing

Six pilgrims in India miraculously escaped injury when the helicopter they were traveling in lost control and crash landed next to a helipad. The pilgrims were headed to Kedarnath temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga (manifestations) of Hindu Lord Shiva and part of the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit in the Himalayas. The helicopter encountered a ‘technical snag’ with its tail rotor and lost control, spinning wildly as the pilot desperately tried to regain control and land. While he could not regain control, he was alert and composed enough to make a successful emergency landing on the grass next to the helipad, precariously sloping away from the helipad. All seven occupants were unharmed and the pilgrims were able to complete their visit to Kedarnath, although their prayers probably took on a more immediate character than they might otherwise have expected. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, while local District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar praised the pilot for averting a potential catastrophe.