A helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand early Sunday, killing all seven on board, reported news agency PTI.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told PTI that the accident took place above the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility due to bad weather.
The dead included six pilgrims and the pilot.
The helicopter took off from Kedarnath for Guptkashi around 5:30 am and crashed soon after.
Sources said the chopper belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X that a helicopter has crashed and the State Disaster Response Force and other agencies are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
“Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations,” the post read.
Dhami further said that his prayers are for the safety of all travellers.
“I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers,” the post further read.
The incident comes days after an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
Earlier, on May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district in which six people were killed.
On June 7, a helicopter going to Kedarnath had to make an emergency landing on the road due to a technical fault soon after take-off in which the pilot was injured but the five devotees on board were rescued safely.
(With inputs from PTI)