A tragic incident occurred in India as a helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals on board. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff on what was supposed to be a short 10-minute flight to a Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas.

The helicopter was en route to Guptkashi, a significant Hindu pilgrimage destination in the Himalayas, from the Kedarnath temple town in Uttarakhand, a northern state in India.

This unfortunate event comes just days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after departing from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, claiming the lives of at least 270 people.

The helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles away from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route around 5:30 am local time. Poor weather conditions are believed to be the cause of the crash, according to officials.

Rescue operations have been initiated, and authorities are set to review operational procedures for flights in the region. The victims include the pilot and pilgrims from neighboring states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Unfortunately, the bodies were badly burned in a subsequent fire following the crash.

Every summer, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines. Due to the challenging mountainous terrain, many pilgrims opt for helicopter services. However, helicopter accidents are not uncommon in the region due to sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions.

Earlier this month, a helicopter in the Kedarnath Valley had to make an emergency landing on a highway shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. While the pilot sustained injuries, all five passengers on board were unharmed. In a separate incident in May, a helicopter crash in Uttarkashi district claimed the lives of six individuals, including the pilot, with only one survivor.

Image: Smoke and debris at the crash site. (Pic: Reuters)