Seven people, including a toddler, were killed on Sunday when a helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims from a Himalayan shrine crashed in India, officials confirmed.
The tragic accident comes as the nation continues to mourn the deaths of at least 279 people killed in a passenger plane crash in the western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The helicopter crash claimed the lives of the pilot and all six passengers as it came down during a flight from the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand state, disaster response official Nandan Singh Rajwar told AFP.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, described the incident as “very sad” and confirmed that rescue teams had been deployed to the crash site.
District tourism official Rahul Chaubey suggested that poor weather conditions likely caused the crash.
Each summer, pilgrims flock to the Kedarnath temple, situated at an altitude of 3,584 meters (11,759 feet), when the site becomes accessible.
To accommodate wealthy devotees who wish to avoid the demanding trek to the shrine, a thriving helicopter charter industry has developed in the region.
Last month, six people also lost their lives in a helicopter crash en route to the same shrine.
