Six persons were killed and one injured after a helicopter crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkhand’s Uttarkashi district on Thursday, The Indian Express reported.

The helicopter, belonging to AeroTrans Services Private Limited, had taken off from the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun and was heading to the Gangotri Dham of the Char Dham Yatra circuit, reported India Today.

The circuit is a Hindu pilgrimage to the four shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, all of which are in Uttarakhand.

The crash was reported around 8.45 am, The Indian Express quoted unidentified officials as saying. The State Disaster Response Force said that the helicopter fell into a gorge about 200-250 metres deep, India Today reported.

While four passengers on board were from Mumbai, two others were from Andhra Pradesh, said the State Disaster Response Force.

Five of them died on the spot, The Indian Express reported. One of the passengers from Andhra Pradesh, a 51-year-old man, was undergoing treatment.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he had instructed the district administration to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident.

“Very sad news has been received about some casualties in a helicopter crash near Gangani in Uttarkashi,” he said on X. “SDRF and district administration teams have immediately reached the spot for relief and rescue work. May God grant peace to the souls of those who died in the accident and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow.”