A helicopter carrying six people crashed in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state in northern India, killing five pilgrims and a pilot. The aircraft took off from Badrinath, a major Hindu pilgrimage site, on Friday afternoon before losing contact, according to officials. Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the helicopter came down near a village close to Joshimath in Chamoli district. The cause remains unknown, though the region experienced heavy rain and poor visibility at the time. India's weather department had issued an orange alert for the area warning of thunderstorms, hail and strong winds before the crash.
Badrinath sits on the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, one of four sacred temple sites in the Himalayan valleys that attract millions of pilgrims annually. Helicopter services have grown popular among pilgrims seeking to avoid difficult mountain journeys.
The crash follows other recent accidents. In June 2025, seven people died in a helicopter crash near Kedarnath, another pilgrimage site on the same route. Seven more died in an October 2022 crash on the pilgrimage route. Several other helicopter accidents occurred during the 2025 pilgrimage season, prompting aviation authorities to tighten safety checks and restrict some operations.