India: Helicopter crash in Uttarakhand kills 7

INDIA: A helicopter ferrying Hindu pilgrims from a shrine crashed on Sunday in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India, killing all seven on board including the pilot, local media reported.

“Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district,” state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X.

He added that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local officials and rescue teams had started relief operations.

The helicopter took off around 5:20 am local time (2350 GMT) and crashed soon during its 10-minute journey.

Officials said the crash was followed by a fire which badly burnt the bodies.

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority said the helicopter had been traveling from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi and added that one of the passengers was a 2-year-old girl.

It dispatched a team to the crash site to investigate the reason behind the crash.

Locals who had gone to collect fodder for their cattle spotted the helicopter debris and alerted the authorities, Indian news magazine The Week reported.

District tourism official Rahul Chaubey told media it was very likely that the accident was caused due to bad weather.

The dead were Indians from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Helicopter safety in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is a popular tourist destination with its mountains and greenery. It is also a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus with several temples and holy sites.

Kedarnath is one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines and is flocked by pilgrims during summer.

A cottage industry has emerged to fly wealthy pilgrims to Himalayan shrines while avoiding arduous trekking. The helicopter that crashed on Sunday belonged to a private firm called Aryan Aviation.

Helicopters are a convenient way to commute in the difficult terrain, but high-altitude flying and unpredictable weather make cause mishaps.

In May, a helicopter on the way to Gangotri Dham in the state had crashed, killing six. Another helicopter had to make an emergency landing in June, where the pilot sustained injuries.