Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], June 22 (ANI): Chamoli Police on Sunday urged devotees to avoid going near the Alaknanda River in Badrinath Dham due to rising water levels.

In a post on X, Chamoli Police wrote that the water level in the Alaknanda River had increased rapidly due to sudden rainfall.

'Important Information. Currently, the weather is unstable. Due to sudden rainfall, the water level of the Alaknanda River in Shri Badrinath Dham is increasing rapidly. Devotees are requested to avoid going near the river. Please be careful. Your safety, our priority,' the post read.

Earlier on June 15, seven people, including a pilot on board a helicopter which crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, died on the spot, as per the State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF)

The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am.

The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The incident spot was located in a very inaccessible and dense forest area, where a fast-paced and coordinated rescue operation was carried out by the joint teams of SDRF, NDRF, and local police.

Rescue teams worked in inclement weather to retrieve the bodies of the deceased. Furthermore, the bodies will be brought down to the road by the SDRF team.

Employees of BKTC gathered at all the offices of the temple committee and expressed condolences at the demise of BKTC employee, Vikram Rawat, the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee spokesperson, Harish Gaur said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM's residence after the helicopter crash.

State Chief Secretary, Disaster Management Secretary, UCADA CEO, Garhwal Commissioner and other senior officials were present in the high-level meeting.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated.

The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequency of helicopter operations at Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure.

Enhanced surveillance and operational reviews were also carried out by DGCA. (ANI)