7 Killed After Helicopter Crashes in Uttarakhand

A helicopter carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath crashed on Sunday morning, killing all seven people aboard, including a two-year-old girl, authorities said, as preliminary analysis showed the aircraft went down in treacherous weather in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.

- Amit Bathla and Ajay Ramola

Sunday's tragedy was the fifth helicopter incident on the route in six weeks: three emergency landings and another crash have killed six people during this period. It also comes days after the country's worst air disaster in three decades that took place on Thursday when Air India flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off, leaving all but one of 242 passengers dead and claiming the lives of dozens more on the ground.

The Bell 407 helicopter operated by private firm Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd took off from a helipad in Kedarnath at around 5:20am and headed towards Guptkashi, in what should have been a 10-minute journey.

"The valley was covered in a dense fog with overcast conditions [at the time of the crash]," said state disaster response force commandant Arpan Yadhuvanshi. Rescue teams trekked five kilometres through difficult terrain to reach the wreckage in a forest near Gaurikund, the base camp for treks to Kedarnath temple. The spot lies roughly 5-7 km from the take-off point, and the general area is close to 9,000 feet above sea level.

"The helicopter departed.

Kedarnath at 5:21 am for Guptkashi. It was last seen near Valley Point at 5:24 am. At 6:13 am, the helicopter company reported that the chopper had not reached Guptkashi. We then launched a search and rescue operation," said Rudraprayag district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar.