A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims from the Kedarnath temple in northern India crashed in the Himalayas on Sunday, killing all seven people on board, including a toddler, officials said.
The helicopter went down in Uttarakhand state during a return flight from the high-altitude shrine, disaster response official Nandan Singh Rajwar told AFP. District tourism officer Rahul Chaubey said bad weather likely caused the crash.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue teams were dispatched to the site and described the incident as “very sad news.”
Pilgrims flock to Kedarnath temple during the summer months, when the 3,584-meter (11,759-foot) site becomes accessible. Helicopter charters have become a popular option for wealthier visitors seeking to avoid the region’s strenuous treks.
The crash comes just days after at least 279 people were killed in a separate aviation disaster, when a passenger plane slammed into a residential area in the western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Six people died in a similar helicopter crash last month en route to Kedarnath. Authorities are investigating both incidents.