DEHRADUN: Seven people, including the pilot, were killed after a helicopter carrying Char Dham yatra pilgrims crashed near Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday around 12 noon.
Soon after the crash, the chopper broke into several pieces and engulfed in fire, according to officials.
President Droupadi Murmu offered her deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami too expressed condolences over the crash.
"SDRF & district administration teams have reached the spot for relief and rescue work. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into this tragic incident," he tweeted.
The accident occurred at Garudchatti near Kedarnath after the chopper took off from Kedarnath for Phata, one of the heliports used by aviation companies operating on the route. The chopper belonged to Aryan aviation company.
DGP Uttarakhand Ashok Kumar told TOI, “Rescue teams have been rushed to the spot for the relief operation. Four bodies are visible and physical verification of the site is under way.”
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