Helicopter carrying pilgrims from Guptkashi to Kedarnath crashes; 6 dead including 2 pilots

In a tragic accident, a helicopter that was bound for Kedarnath from Guptakshi crashed, killing six people who were on board. Out of the six people killed, two of them were the pilots who were flying the helicopter, as per ANI reports.

#UPDATE | Six people died in the helicopter crash in Phata, Uttarakhand: Abhinav Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister pic.twitter.com/pgrasTAHTS

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

"Six people, including one pilot and five passengers, who were traveling onboard the helicopter which crashed have died in the incident," said Abhinav Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.

The chopper burst into flames near Jungle Chatti, en route to the shrine amid fog and poor visibility, they said. Medical teams have been deployed at the spot, they said.

A total of seven people were on board and six bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue and search operations are being conducted, as per media reports.

According to DGCA, Aryan Aviation Bell-407 helicopter VT-RPN with five passengers took off from Kedarnathji Dham for GuptKashi.The weather was Cloudy over Garud Chatti. In a valley near Garud Chatti, a loud noise was heard and the helicopter caught fire

The helicopter was bound for Kedarnath and was carrying pilgrims, according to media reports. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and rescue operations are currently underway.

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