Two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have successfully evacuated a civilian aircraft, which had recently crashed at theKedarnath helipad at an altitude of 11,500 feet.

"On October 26, Mi 17 V5 helicopters of Indian Air Force were tasked to undertake a very challenging task of evacuating a crashed aircraft of UT Air Private limited from high altitude region of Kedarnath," an IAF spokesperson said on Sunday. The aircraft had crashed at the helipad near the Kedarnath shrine a few days back. "On the dawn of Saturday, the two helicopters were pressed into action, with one of them tasked to provide logistical support and the other for extricating the downed civilian aircraft by carrying it under lung," the spokesperson said.

The crashed aircraft was hooked below one of the IAFhelicopters and flown back through the narrow valley to Sahastradhara nearDehradun. With only foot track connectivity to Kedarnath, it was not feasibleto transport the wreckage to a lower region.

The company had requested the IAF, through Uttarakhand civiladministration, to render assistance in the evacuation of the crashed aircraftbefore the closure of the Kedarnath shrine at the end of this month. Thespokesperson said that the safe evacuation of the crashed aircraft is atestimony to the responsiveness of the IAF in support of the civilianadministration and the skill of IAF aircrew.