Uttarakhand helicopter crash leaves five dead

Five persons were killed and two others injured on Thursday when a private company's helicopter on its way to the Gangotri shrine crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district, officials said.

The helicopter carrying a total of seven people, including the pilot, crashed on the Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway at around 8:45 am.

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.

The SDRF said the helicopter had left from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun for Kharsali helipad in Yamunotri. Capt Robin Singh was flying the helicopter, the SDRF said. While four on board were from Mumbai, two others hailed from Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

The administration has been instructed to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident, he said, adding that he is constantly in touch with officials and monitoring the situation.