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Seven people have died after a helicopter crashed in , including a child and the pilot, according to local reports. The crash took place within minutes of the helicopter taking off. The aircraft was carrying Hindu pilgrims en route to Guptkashi, which is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas. The helicopter took off from Kedarnath temple town, but crashed shortly after in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

The incident took place in the early hours of this morning, the Indian Express reports. "Around 5.20am on Sunday, the helicopter went missing after taking passengers from Kedarnath, en route to Guptkashi. It crashed in Gaurikund, leading to seven deaths. We are ascertaining the reason for the crash," Nilesh Bharne, IG Law and Order, told the newspaper. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control near the mountainous region of Gaurikund.

The helicopter was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation. Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

A search and rescue operation has now been launched by authorities and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region, a local disaster official said.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on X: "The extremely distressing news of a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district has been received. SDRF, local administration and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations."

A meeting is taking place, chaired by the chief minister, to review the circumstances of the fatal crash. India Today reports top officials attending such as the Chief Secretary, Secretary of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Secretary of Disaster Management, and representatives from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Directorate of Information.

The incident comes just three days after the Air India disaster which saw a Boeing 787 plummet to the ground, killing at least 270 people. Less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, the London-bound plane crashed and exploded into a fireball. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 died.

Sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was on the plane seated in 11A, the Hindustan Times reports. He was travelling back to London with his brother, who was also on the flight.

He explained that he managed to escape the disaster after his side of the plane fell onto the ground floor of a building where he forced his way out of the plane through a broken door. Viswash was then immediately assisted by locals and taken to a hospital.

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