A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed in northern India, killing all 7 people on board, including a 1-year-old and 11-month-old baby, Indian news agency ANI reported.
“A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims, owned by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, flying from the Hindu shrine of Kadernath in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, crashed early Sunday morning, killing all seven people on board, including a 23-month-old baby,“ the agency reported, citing local authorities.
The helicopter crashed in a remote, forested mountainous area and caught fire. Local residents who saw smoke alerted Indian emergency services. Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force, police and forest departments, which reached the crash site, recovered the charred bodies of the pilot and passengers and pulled them out of the completely burnt helicopter, ANI reported.
State Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey was quoted by the agency as saying on Sunday that “the crash was likely caused by bad weather conditions, which often pose a hazard to aviation operations in mountainous terrain“.
According to the agency, the helicopter pilot Rajbir Singh Chauhan is an ex-serviceman with 15 years of experience in flying in mountainous terrain.
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has sent experienced personnel to Uttarakhand to help in the investigation into the crash, ANI reported.