U'khand: Three killed as helicopter crashes in rain-hit Uttarkashi

A helicopter engaged in relief and rescue operations in the rain-ravaged Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand crashed on Wednesday, killing all three persons on board.

A private helicopter with three persons on board crashed near Moldi in the rain-hit Uttarkashi district after getting entangled in cables, Uttarakhand's DG (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.

The pilot, co-pilot and a local were killed in the crash, he said.

Torrential rains in the Mori area of the district caused large-scale damage and demolished a number of houses on Sunday. Sixteen people were killed and around half a dozen are missing.

The helicopter, belonging to Heritage Aviation, was among the ones engaged in relief and rescue operations in the affected villages spread over 70 square km area of the district.

The crash occurred when the helicopter was returning after distributing the relief material among the affected people, Uttarkashi Disaster Management officer Devendra Patwal said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, in a tweet, expressed grief at the deaths in the crash. He prayed for strength to the family members of the deceased to bear the loss.