Six killed in helicopter crash in Uttarakhand district, CM orders probe:

Six people were killed and one person got injured after a helicopter in which they were travelling in crashed in the Gangani area of Uttarakhand on Thursday.

The incident occurred around 8:50am, when a chopper operated by a private company, en route from Yamunotri Dham, plunged into a deep gorge.

Manoj Aswal, in charge Maneri police station said six passengers including the pilot have been killed in the crash while the one injured passenger is being air lifted for treatment to AIIMS Rishikesh.

“The helicopter, bearing registration number VT-OXF, was carrying seven individuals, including the pilot, identified as Captain Robin Singh, and six passengers. It was coming from Yamunotri Dham. Upon receiving the alert, teams from the State Disaster Response

Force (SDRF) and local police promptly reached the site and started search and rescue operation”, Aswal said.

He said that the helicopter was found in a gorge approximately 200 to 250 meters deep.

“SDRF personnel, alongside local police and other emergency units, are conducting search and rescue operations in the rugged terrain”, he added.

The deceased include four people from Mumbai and two from Andhra Pradesh.

CM orders probe

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a probe into the incident.

Dhami expressed condolences over the deaths. He has directed the local administration to provide all possible assistance to the injured. He said teams of SDRF, and district administration are at the spot for relief and rescue work.

Helicopter services to Kedarnath were briefly halted after the helicopter crash but later resumed.

A tragic helicopter crash near Ganganani in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi has resulted in the death of five people on Thursday (May 8) morning; several others have been injured. This tragic crash comes just days after the commencement of the Chardham Yatra, one of India’s most sacred pilgrimage routes.

The chopper, which was carrying six passengers and a pilot, went down Thursday morning in the rugged, high-altitude region near the Gangotri National Highway. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

CM Dhami shares a condolence message

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media to express condolences and announce that relief efforts were already underway.

“Very sad news has been received about some casualties in a helicopter crash near Gangani in Uttarkashi,” he said.

Dhami added that “SDRF and district administration teams have immediately reached the spot for relief and rescue work.”

 Blasts heard in several Pakistani cities including military garrison town Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore

 He also said that he has “instructed the administration to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident.”

“I am constantly in touch with the officials in this regard, and every situation is being monitored.”

Visuals from the site show mangled wreckage

Visuals from the crash site show the severely mangled interior of the helicopter. Viewer discretion is advised.

Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed that medical aid and rescue teams were mobilised immediately after the accident.

The tragic crash comes just days after the start of the Chardham Yatra, with the Kedarnath temple reopening on May 2 and Badrinath on May 4. Pilgrim traffic has increased sharply, and many pilgrims rely on helicopter services to reach the shrines in the treacherous Himalayan terrain.