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A helicopter carrying pilgrims Saturday crashed in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand during take-off, killing a crew member and injuring the two pilots on board, a senior police official said.
The incident took place in the hilly state's town of Badrinath Saturday morning when the Agusta 119 helicopter, belonging to a private aviation company, got disbalanced due to less air pressure while taking off from a helipad for another town of Haridwar and fell on the ground.
"The helicopter's engineer, identified as Vikram Lamba, died on the spot after being hit by rotor blades," local police chief Tripti Bhatt told the media.
Two pilots sustained minor injuries in the incident. However, five passengers who were on board escaped unhurt in the accident, the police official said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into the incident. "The investigation will ascertain the exact cause of the crash," a senior DGCA official said.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
