Seven people killed in Indian helicopter crash just days after Air India tragedy

Seven people have died in a helicopter crash in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand

According to local media, the helicopter was flying from Dehradun, the state capital, to a popular pilgrimage site in the Himalayan mountains.

A flight that would have been a 10-minute journey.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off.

The aircraft, which private helicopter service Aryan Aviation operated, crashed in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30 am local time.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched and the local police carried out a coordinated operation to retrieve the bodies.

It is believed that poor weather conditions caused the crash.

Among the casualties are the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The bodies were badly burned in the fire that followed the crash, according to local authorities.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will further investigate the incident, per BBC.

Kedarnath is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the sacred place each summer.

Helicopters are the preferred means of travel due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

However, helicopter accidents are not uncommon in the region, as sudden weather changes can occur and high-altitude flying conditions pose risks.

Not even a month ago, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after take-off due to technical difficulties, resulting in injury to the pilot.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived the crash, per Sky News.

The helicopter crash comes three days after an Air India flight crashed minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.