All deceased are from Jammu
Sreekanth A Nair
Six pilgrims and a pilot were killed in Jammu Kashmir after the helicopter carrying Vaishnodevi pilgrims crashed near Tea Garden in Katra town around 12 pm on Monday.
The chopper was carrying pilgrims from Sanjichat to Katra and reportedly crashed minutes after takeoff.
Eye-witnesses told to NDTV that the pilot was trying to avoid landing on a densely populated area and crashed in an open space, engulfing in flames after touching down.
Hindustan Times reported that the passengers killed were identified as Arjun Singh, Mahesh, Vandana, Sachin, Amritpal and five-year-old Akshita.
Sumita Vijayan, the pilot who died in the crash, was the chief pilot of Himalayan Heli Services, the private company that owns the helicopter.
No civilians have been injured in the incident.
Authorities said that heavy fog might have been the reason for crash land. But chances of mechanical defects also cannot be negated.
Police said that all deceased were from Jammu.
Vaishnodevi temple is a very important pilgrim centre where lakhs of devotees visit every year. The place is situated 56 kilometers north of Jammu. Usually, people have to trek almost 12 kilometers to reach the temple. Those who are not able to walk take a pony, a horse or a palanquin.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted “Very sorry to hear about the chopper crash in Katra. My prayers are with the families of the victims. RIP.”