Six killed in helicopter crash in Indian Himalayan state, ANI says

Six ‌people ​were killed in a helicopter crash in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Friday, news ‌agency ANI reported, citing an official from the state's civil aviation authority.

The helicopter was flying from Badrinath, a prominent pilgrimage destination for Hindus ‌located in the mountains, to Dehradun city, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation ‌Development Authority (UCADA) said in a statement. All six people on board the chopper, including five passengers and the pilot, were killed, ANI reported, citing UCADA's Chief Executive Officer ⁠Prateek Jain.

"The ​helicopter lost ⁠communication while it was flying over Joshimath valley. At the same time, the tracking ⁠system could no longer track the helicopter," the authority said. The entire fleet ​of the operator, Trans Bharat Aviation, had been grounded "as a precautionary ⁠measure", it added.

The operator did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for ⁠comment ​on the incident. A joint search and rescue operation was carried out by the district administration, disaster management teams and troops ⁠in the region, officials said.

TV channels said that rescue teams had rushed ⁠to the ⁠site of the crash and fire and smoke were visible there.