Seven people, including a pilot, were killed after a helicopter carrying pilgrims crashed near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand today, NDTV reported.
The helicopter en route Guptkashi crashed right after the takeoff from the Kedarnath shrine at around 11.40 am. A total of seven people, including a pilot, were onboard the chopper.”
“All seven bodies have been recovered from the accident site,” said C Ravi Shankar, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority.
Initial investigation suggests bad weather and poor visibility caused the crash.
“The exact cause of the accident will be known after a proper investigation,” Mr Shankar said.
Aviation regulator sources said a loud noise was heard before the helicopter caught fire near Garud Chatti. “A Bell 407 helicopter VT-RPN belonging to a Delhi-based Aryan Aviation has crashed on the way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, possibly due to cloudy weather,” sources told NDTV.