Badrinath: Helicopter carrying pilgrims crashes; one killed
A helicopter with five pilgrims on board crashed soon after taking off from the Himalayan shrine of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. A crew member (engineer) succumbed to injuries while two pilots were injured. All the five passengers are reportedly safe. The accident took place at around 7:45 am today; the helicopter was on its way to Haridwar from Badrinath.
Agusta-119 helicopter met with an accident: DGCA official
An official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Delhi confirmed the death of the engineer in the mishap. Chamoli Superintendent of Police Tripti Bhatt said the crew member was hit by the helicopter's rotor blades. According to the DGCA official, it was an Agusta-119 helicopter that belonged to Krestal Aviation - a private operator based in Mumbai.
DGCA investigation underway
Chamoli SP Tripti Bhatt said the chopper had lost its balance during take-off due to insufficient air pressure and crashed soon after. The DGCA is investigating the matter. Pilot Sanjay Wasi and co-pilot Alka Shukla suffered minor injuries.
