Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India] June 23 (ANI): Chamoli Police, Uttarakhand, and Chardham Police Control Room have informed the tourists and devotees about the blockage of the Badrinath National Highway near Bhanerpani, Pipalkoti.

Due to heavy and continuous rainfall from last night, the Badrinath highway is blocked, and work to open the road is underway. The team faces problems as stones continuously fall, hindering the work to reopen the route.

Taking to its official X account, the Chamoli police wrote, 'Due to continuous rain since late night, the Badrinath National Highway is blocked near #Bhanerpani (Pipalkoti). The work to open it is going on.

Due to the continuous falling of stones from the hill, the work of opening the road is being hindered.

The Chardham Police Control Room also informed the passengers about the incident and urged them to be patient. They have also provided helpline numbers in case of an emergency.

The tweet said, 'Passengers are requested to please maintain patience. Helpline number 0135-2714484 Contact 9897846203.'

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)