Six dead, 1 injured as helicopter crashes in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi

Six people were killed and one was severely injured after a helicopter crashed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Thursday, news agency ANI reported.

  The incident occurred at 8:45 am  in the border district of Uttarkashi near Ganganani. The helicopter was carrying six passengers and its captain. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.  

   

According to information received from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the helicopter belonging to AeroTrans Services Private Limited crashed and fell into a gorge about 200-250 metres deep.

 

According to Garhwal's Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, the rescue operation is currently underway, with administration and relief team present at the site.

 

Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the accident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "SDRF and district administration teams have immediately reached the spot for relief and rescue work. I have instructed the administration to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident." 

The SDRF team stated that the helicopter had left from the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun for the Kharsali helipad in Yamunotri. Capt Robin Singh was flying the helicopter. 

 

According to the report, four passengers hailed from Mumbai, while two others were from Andhra Pradesh.   The sole survior of the crash was airlifted for further treatment.   Speaking to ANI, Pandey said, "A helicopter crashed at Ganganani place. There were six passengers and a pilot onboard... Relief and rescue operations were started immediately... Local police, local magistrate and SDRF team reached the spot. One person has been rescued and airlifted... 6 people have died."  The accident will be investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau after the chartered helicopter from Ahmedabad crashed, ANI reported citing a senior official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.