Key points
- The deceased include five women and one man, the pilot
- One person also injured in the incident
- The helicopter was going to Gangotri Dham
ISLAMABAD: Six people died and one was injured when a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham from Dehradun crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi on Thursday morning in India, according to The Indian Express.
Citing officials, the news website reported that the helicopter crash was reported near Gangnani, on the Gangotri National Highway, around 8.45 am.
A local journalist, Nabila Jamal, reported the story with pictures of the crashed helicopter in a post on X.
Helicopter crash in Uttarkashi claims 5 lives
Crash reported near Ganganani in Uttarkashi district #Uttarakhand
5 passengers confirmed dead, 2 seriously injured -confirms Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey
Relief & rescue teams are on-site, cause of crash not yet known pic.twitter.com/cwRYeyC6wX
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) May 8, 2025
ANI also shared the pictures of the crashed helicopter on its X handle.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed grief over the death of 5 people in a helicopter crash near Gangani in Uttarkashi.
The Chief Minister has directed the administration to provide all possible assistance to the injured and investigate the accident. SDRF and… https://t.co/6RngfisdFS
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2025
According to The Indian Express, the helicopter belongs to Heli Aerotrans Company and had taken off this morning from the Sahastradhara helipad en route to Harsil. Seven people were on board, including the pilot. Five died on the spot, and one died while being treated. Of those on board, four passengers are from Mumbai and two from Andhra Pradesh. The deceased include five women and one man, the pilot. A 51-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh is undergoing treatment for injuries. The helicopter was going to the Gangotri Dham of the Char Dham Yatra circuit.
According to Times of India, among the deceased were three pilgrims from Mumbai- Kala Soni (61), Vijaya Reddy (57), and Ruchi Aggarwal (56); Radha Aggarwal (79) from Uttar Pradesh; and Vedavati Kumari (48) from Andhra Pradesh. Bhaskar (51), also from Andhra Pradesh, sustained injuries. The pilot, Capt Robin Singh (60), a resident of Gujarat, also died in the crash.
Response force’s statement
According to The Indian Express, the State Disaster Response Force received information at 8.50 am, and a team was dispatched from the Bhatwari post, while another team set out from the Ujeli post.
“The team found that the helicopter had fallen into a gorge 200-250 metres deep. The team established a base at the location and began the rescue operation by descending into the gorge. The pilot of the helicopter was Captain Robin Singh. There were a total of seven people on board the helicopter, including one pilot and six passengers. SDRF is conducting rescue operations at the site in coordination with the local police and other emergency units,” the force said in a statement.
Chief minister “deeply saddened”
Following the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Deeply saddened to receive the tragic news of casualties in the helicopter crash near Gangnani in Uttarkashi. SDRF and district administration teams immediately reached the site to carry out relief and rescue operations.”
Thorough investigation
He also said that instructions have been given to the administration to provide all possible assistance to the injured and to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, according to The Indian Express.
