Seven people killed in a helicopter accident in India

Seven people died in a helicopter accident in the state of northern Uttarakhand, officials said.

According to local media, the plane was flying from Kedarnath along a popular Hindu pilgrimage route in the Himalayan mountains.

It is understood that the rescue teams were immediately sent and an operation to recover the bodies was carried out with the local police.

The pilot and a two -year -old child were one of the people killed, said the Directorate General for Civil Aviation, adding that the Landburn (AAIB) will investigate the accident.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation of India said that the Aviation VT-BKA helicopter ARYENNE BELL 407 had taken off on Sunday after 05:15 L’ocre.

Five passengers, a child and a crew member were on board the flight to GUPTKASHI – another popular city for pilgrims.

“Around 05:00, we obtained the information according to which a helicopter, which went from Shri Kedarnath Dham, could not be located,” said the CEO of the Civil Aviation Department of Uttarakhand.

It was then discovered that the helicopter crashed near Gaurikund.

In an article on X, the chief minister of the state, Pushkar Singh Dhami, described the incident as “very sad news”, adding that the strength of response to disasters (SDRF), the local administration and other rescue teams were engaged in rescue and rescue operations.

Dhami confirmed that he had ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident.

The director general of information of the State, Bansidhar Tripathi, said that there were “three emergency landings and two helicopter accidents in the last month and a half” along the pilgrimage road Char Dham Yatra.

A meeting between senior officials following the accident ordered helicopter services for the route is completely closed until Monday.

The helicopter services will only resume after a meeting with all operators had been carried out and that the flight experience of all Himalayan regions in the high regions had been verified, Dhami said in a statement.

He also ordered a strict standard operational procedure (SOP) for helicopter services in the state to establish a common command and coordination center in the state’s capital of the State for better coordination and better safer operation.

“Negligence regardless of the level initiated will be identified and punitive measures will be ensured,” said Dhami.

He added that the administration of the Rudraprayag district was also responsible for contacting families of people who lost their lives in the accident and taking appropriate arrangements to send their bodies to the respective states.

Hundreds of thousands of people visit the four Hindu pilgrimage sites – Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath – along the Himalayan mountains each year.

This has led to a helicopter business industry that develops to serve as rich pilgrims who want to visit the sanctuaries but avoid arduous trekking.