A tragic helicopter crash near the revered Kedarnath temple in northern India claimed the lives of all seven individuals on board early Sunday morning, according to local authorities.

The chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, went down shortly after taking off from Kedarnath, a major Hindu pilgrimage site nestled in the Himalayas. It was en route to Guptkashi, a brief 10-minute flight, when it crashed around 5:30 a.m. in a forested area along the pilgrimage route.

Preliminary reports suggest poor weather conditions may have caused the crash. Upon impact, the helicopter reportedly burst into flames, leaving the remains of the victims — including the pilot and six pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat — severely burned.

Local disaster management official Nandan Singh Rajwar confirmed that search and rescue operations are underway. Authorities are expected to review aviation protocols for the region, where helicopter services are frequently used to transport pilgrims through the rugged terrain.

Kedarnath is one of Hinduism’s four holiest temple sites and draws tens of thousands of devotees annually, especially during the summer pilgrimage season.

This incident comes just days after another aviation tragedy in India, where an Air India Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, resulting in the deaths of at least 270 people, including passengers and residents on the ground.

An investigation into the Uttarakhand crash is ongoing as officials work to determine the exact cause and provide support to the victims' families. (ILKHA)