Dehradun (Uttarakhand), May 8 (UNI) At least six people were killed and several others injured when a helicopter carrying pilgrims to the holy shrine of Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Thursday morning, an official said.

There were seven people on board, including the pilot. While six bodies have been recovered, one passenger is safe.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed grief over the accident.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said a helicopter crash was reported in Gangnani area at around 8:50 am. A team led by chief constable Naveen Kumar was immediately dispatched from post Bhatwadi, while another team led by sub-inspector Pushkar Jeena left from post Ujeli.

The SDRF team reached the spot and found that the helicopter had fallen into a deep gorge, Yaduvanshi said. He said the team has started rescue work by setting up a base at the spot and landing in the ditch.

According to information received from the State Disaster Management Authority, there were 7 people in the helicopter. These include one pilot and six passengers. The bodies of six people, including pilot Robin Singh, have been recovered, while one passenger is reportedly safe.

The helicopter belonged to Aero Trans Services Private Limited, sources said, adding the registration number of the helicopter is VT OXF. The helicopter was on a flight from Sahastradhara helipad, Dehradun to Kharsali, helipad. From there they were supposed to go to Gangotri.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed his grief over the incident.

Teams of SDRF and district administration have reached the spot immediately for relief and rescue work.

Dhami said the administration has been instructed to provide all possible assistance to the injured and investigate the accident. "I am in touch with the authorities and monitoring the situation," he said.

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