Uttarakhand draws millions of pilgrims to sites such as Badrinath, with helicopter firms offering wealthy visitors an alternative to mountain treks. (EPA Images pic)DEHRADUN: A helicopter carrying six people from a Hindu holy town crashed in the Indian Himalayas on Friday, killing everyone on board, officials said.
Five passengers and one pilot were killed when the chopper came down near a valley in Joshimath during the flight from Badrinath in the northern state of Uttarakhand, according to state police.
"Efforts are currently underway to transport the bodies from the inaccessible crash site to the nearest road," police said in a statement.
India's weather department had predicted "widespread" rainfall in the state on Friday, just two days after Cyclone Arnab made landfall along India's southeastern coast.
