A Kedarnath-bound helicopter after it made an emergency landing at Badasu area in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, Saturday (PTI)

A helicopter carrying five passengers to Kedarnath on Saturday had to make a quick landing on a highway in Uttarakhand.

The chopper hit a technical snag during take-off, prompting the precautionary landing on the road, officials said. A parked vehicle on the highway was damaged.

The helicopter belonging to Krestel Aviation Pvt Ltd, according to the DGCA, developed a technical snag during take-off on Saturday afternoon. District tourism development officer, Rahul Chaubey, said the pilot, sensing the situation in time, made an emergency landing on a nearby road, thereby averting a major mishap. Story continues below this ad “The pilot sustained minor injuries and was immediately taken to the hospital. Upon receiving information about the incident, the district administration dispatched a team to the site,” he added. Chaubey said that the helicopter was taking off from its base at Barasu for Kedarnath Dham with five passengers on board and the pilot spotted an empty stretch of road nearby to carry out an emergency landing. “All five passengers on board the helicopter are safe. The incident has not affected the ongoing heli shuttle services,” the state government said in a statement. The Government of Uttarakhand’s Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has informed the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said UCADA CEO, Sonika.