IAF rescue stranded helicopter at 11,500 feet near Amarnath Shrine | Watch

The stranded helicopter had caused blockage and disruption at the Panchtarni helipad- the final helicopter drop point for the Amarnath Yatra.

The Indian Air Force rescued a stranded civilian helicopter near the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir after its single-engine copter developed some snag. The daring mission took place at a high altitude of 11,500 feet and involved a Mi-17 V5 helicopter.

The Panchtarni helipad is now open for pilgrims, allowing the smooth continuation of the pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine.

The stranded helicopter had caused blockage and disruption at the Panchtarni helipad- the final helicopter drop point for the Amarnath Yatra, affecting the pilgrimage to the sacred shrine. The crew of the Mi-17 helicopter managed to airlift the damaged helicopter, which was attached to their own aircraft, through a valley surrounded by steep mountains, visuals shared by the Indian Air Force showed.

Read | Amarnath Yatra sees huge response, over 3.7 lakh pilgrims in 27 days

The operation required precise “planning and preparation” due to the heavy load and challenging terrain, an official was quoted as saying news agency PTI. The Indian Air Force displayed exceptional flying skills and executed the rescue mission flawlessly.

Read | 3 held following scuffle at Sheshnag camp of Amarnath Yatra: J&K Police

The Panchtarni helipad is now open for pilgrims, allowing the smooth continuation of the pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine. It was airlifted to the Neelgrar helipad by the air force.

The 62-day-long yatra to the Amarnath holy shrine commenced on July 1 and will culminate on August 31. Located 141 km from the capital Srinagar at an altitude of 12,756 feet above sea level, the holy cave of Amarnath lies in the Ladar Valley, which is covered by glaciers, and snow-capped mountains for most of the year.

1,006 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath

Over 1,000 Amarnath pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar camp on Tuesday for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the onward journey to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.

As many as 3.97 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the shrine since the beginning of the 62-day-long annual pilgrimage on July 1.