A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims to the Kedarnath temple in India’s Himalayan region crashed on Sunday, killing all seven people on board, including a toddler and the pilot.
The aircraft, operated by a private charter company, went down during a flight in Uttarakhand state due to suspected poor weather, according to district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey. Rescue operations were swiftly launched following confirmation of the crash by disaster response authorities.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the incident as “very sad” and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
The tragedy comes just days after a separate aviation disaster in Ahmedabad, where at least 279 people died when a passenger plane crashed into a residential area.
Kedarnath temple, perched at an altitude of 3,584 meters, draws thousands of pilgrims each summer. Due to its remote location, many opt for helicopter services to bypass strenuous mountain treks. However, safety concerns have persisted, with a similar crash killing six last month en route to the same shrine.
