SEVEN people, including a two-year-old child and the pilot, were killed when a helicopter crashed Sunday morning in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

According to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bell 407 helicopter operated by Aryan Aviation took off around 5:15 a.m. from Kedarnath, a major stop along the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route, and was headed for Guptkashi. The aircraft lost contact shortly after takeoff and was later found crashed near Gaurikund.

All six onboard — five passengers including the child, and the pilot — were confirmed dead, a report by BBC stated.

Rescue teams immediately responded, and recovery operations have been completed. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is now conducting a full investigation.

Preliminary reports indicate the helicopter crashed due to Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) in dense fog and poor visibility. Witnesses and officials confirmed that low clouds covered the area at the time of the crash.

The pilot, identified as Lt. Col. (Retd) Rajveer Singh Chouhan, was an Indian Army veteran with over 2,000 hours of flying experience.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the incident as “very sad news” in a post on X (formerly Twitter):

“Very sad news was received about the crash of the helicopter going from Kedarnath to Guptkashi. Instructions have been given to investigate the incident. The teams engaged in relief and rescue operations have reached the spot. May God grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss,” Dhami said.

Dhami ordered a temporary suspension of all helicopter services along the Char Dham Yatra route pending a review of pilot qualifications and safety protocols.

“There have already been three emergency landings and two crashes in the past month and a half,” said Bansidhar Tripathi, Director-General of Information for the state.

A police case (FIR) has been filed against Aryan Aviation managers for culpable homicide and negligence, after reports revealed the flight operated outside its assigned time slot and in poor weather. Additionally, licenses of two pilots from a separate company have been suspended for violating weather-related flight guidelines.

The incident happened a few days after an Air India flight crashed, killing 270 people.(Jocel Tuanson, CNU Comm Intern)

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• #ANOTHER AIR TRAGEDY IN INDIA: Helicopter crash leaves 7 dead