A helicopter carrying six people, including five pilgrims, has crashed in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing all six people on board, according to Indian media reports.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the helicopter crashed near a village close to Joshimath in Chamoli district. The incident occurred shortly after the aircraft took off from Badrinath, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage site, on Friday afternoon.
According to Indian media reports, the helicopter lost contact a short time after its departure from Badrinath. All six people on board, including the five pilgrims, lost their lives in the crash.
Initial reports indicated that heavy rainfall and poor visibility in the region may have been among the conditions surrounding the accident. However, further details about the exact circumstances of the crash were not provided in the initial reports.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns about helicopter safety along the pilgrimage routes in Uttarakhand, where helicopters are used to transport pilgrims to religious destinations.
In June 2025, another helicopter carrying pilgrims crashed near Kedarnath, killing seven people. The accident occurred along a pilgrimage route in the same region.
Earlier, in October 2022, another helicopter crash on the same pilgrimage route also claimed the lives of seven people.
The latest crash adds to a series of fatal helicopter accidents involving pilgrims travelling to religious sites in Uttarakhand.
