LOC10:03
07:03 GMT
NEW DELHI, June 15 (KUNA) -- At least Seven people, including the pilot, killed Sunday when a helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, northern India.
According to Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar, as reported by the Press Trust of India, the accident occurred above the forested area of Gaurikund amid poor visibility caused by adverse weather conditions. All seven occupants onboard the aircraft lost their lives.
The helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from Kedarnath en route to Guptkashi but crashed shortly after departure. It went down between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire upon impact.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that the State Disaster Response Force and other agencies are actively engaged in ongoing relief and rescue operations.
This tragic incident follows closely on the heels of a recent aviation disaster in Gujarat, where a London-bound Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad, resulting in 241 fatalities out of 242 passengers onboard. (end)
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