A crew member died and two pilots suffered injuries when a helicopter met with an accident while taking off from Badrinath in Uttarakhand on Saturday, reported PTI. The chopper was carrying five pilgrims to Hardiwar, who were all reported to be safe.

A Directorate General of Civil Aviation official said that the crew member, who happened to be an engineer, had died, while the two pilots suffered injuries. The DGCA said it was looking into the matter.

Chamoli Superintendent of Police Tripti Bhatt said the Agusta 119 helicopter fell after getting misbalanced while taking off owing to insufficient air pressure. The incident took place around 7.45 am. The police identified the engineer as Vikram Lamba, who died after getting hit by the rotor blades.

The pilot of the helicopter, Sanjay Wasi, complained of a slight backache, while co-pilot Alka Shukhla suffered a minor injury.

All the pilgrims hailed from Vadodara in Gujarat and had left for their respective destinations, added the report. The helicopter belonged to Mumbai-based private operator Krestal Aviation.