6 dead as helicopter carrying Char Dham pilgrims crashes near Gangotri in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: A helicopter ferrying Char Dham passengers crashed near Gangnani on the Gangotri route in Uttarkashi district on Thursday morning, claiming six lives and leaving one seriously injured. Captain Robin Singh, the pilot, also died in the crash. The injured passenger has been airlifted for treatment to AIIMS Rishikesh. The helicopter was operated by Aero Trans Service Pvt Ltd.Four of the passengers were from Mumbai and two from Andhra Pradesh. On Thursday morning, an Aerotrans Services Private Ltd. helicopter (VT-QXF) took off from Sahastradhara, Dehradun, and dropped off a group of passengers at the Kharsali helipad. Shortly after, the helicopter departed from Kharsali with a new set of passengers bound for the Harsil helipad. Around 8:40 AM, according to reports, the helicopter crashed near the Ganganani Nagraja Temple. The exact reasons for the crash are yet to be ascertained, officials said. The crash site is located 200-250 meters down a gorge on a hillside near a village. Rescue operations by SDRF, Army and police personnel are currently underway.Among the deceased were three pilgrims from Mumbai- Kala Soni (61), Vijaya Reddy (57), and Ruchi Aggarwal (56); Radha Aggarwal (79) from Uttar Pradesh; and Vedavati Kumari (48) from Andhra Pradesh. Bhaskar (51), also from Andhra Pradesh, sustained injuries. The pilot, Capt Robin Singh (60), a resident of Gujarat, also died in the crash.'Extremely sad': CM Pushkar Singh DhamiUttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media platform 'X' on Thursday to express grief over the helicopter crash near Gangnani in Uttarkashi.Calling it "extremely sad news", he said rescue and relief teams were rushed to the site immediately and that the administration had been directed to extend all possible assistance to the injured. The CM added that he was in constant touch with officials and monitoring the situation closely."Extremely sad news has been received that some people were killed in a helicopter crash near Gangnani in Uttarkashi. Teams of SDRF and district administration rushed to the spot immediately for rescue and relief operations.May God grant the souls of those who died in the accident a place in the feet of the Lord and strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense grief," he wrote. "The administration has been directed to provide all possible assistance to the injured and investigate the incident. I am in constant touch with the authorities in this regard and every situation is being monitored," he added further.