7 die as another aircraft crash in India

A helicopter crash in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand has resulted in the deaths of seven people, marking the second fatal aviation incident in the country in less than a week.

The crash took place early Sunday, just three days after a devastating India Air plane crash in Ahmedabad that left more than 270 dead.

According to reports, the Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter, bearing registration VT-BKA, was flying from Kedarnath to Guptkashi—a popular pilgrimage route that winds through the Himalayas—when it went down.

BBC reported that there were six passengers on board, including one child, along with a single crew member.

READ ALSO:Passenger in seat 11A survives deadly Air India crash, reveals what happened on board

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that the pilot and a two-year-old child were among those who lost their lives. An investigation into the incident will be carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

“At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham, could not be located,” said the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department.

The wreckage was later found near Gaurikund, a critical rest stop for pilgrims on the route to the Kedarnath shrine.

Local authorities, along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other rescue teams, quickly mobilized to conduct search and relief operations at the crash site.

Meanwhile, recovery efforts are still ongoing in Ahmedabad, where rescue crews continue to sift through the debris left by Thursday’s India Air plane crash in a densely populated neighborhood.

Officials said that 25 additional bodies were recovered from the rubble late Friday night.

The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad reported to the Associated Press that 270 bodies have been received so far. The lone survivor remains hospitalized, though his condition has improved.

“He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,” the facility said Saturday.

Due to the condition of many of the victims’ remains—charred or severely disfigured—the hospital has begun DNA identification efforts. Hundreds of grieving families have submitted samples in the hopes of identifying their loved ones.