Six pilgrims - including a newlywed couple - and a pilot were killed when their helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the northern Indian state Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
The helicopter crashed at 12:45 p.m. local time shortly after taking off from the Katra town, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi Hindu pilgrimage, according to Northlines.
"The helicopter belonging to Himalayan Heli Services had taken off from Sanjhichhat helipad near the shrine," a police official told Indo Asian News Service. "It was supposed to land at the Katra Bus Stand helipad when it crashed in the mountain area. All the seven people on board, including the pilot, have died."
Jammu and Kashmir authorities have launched an investigation into the deadly crash. Media reports said the chopper reportedly caught fire in mid-air.
"Copter was being piloted by a lady. Technical fault might have led to the crash. Matter under investigation," senior police officer Surinder Gupta said, according to CNN.
The female pilot was identified as Sunita Vijayn. The six pilgrims were identified as Mahesh, Amritpal, Akshita and a newlywed couple, Arjun Singh and Vandana, according to Hindustan Times.
The couple, who got married on Nov. 18, had reportedly gone to shrine to seek blessings of Vaishna Devi, a Hindu deity, according to u4uvoice.
Several Indian public figures express their condolences on social media. Read some of their tweets below.
Very sorry to hear about the chopper crash in Katra. My prayers are with the families of the victims. RIP
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) November 23, 2015
Heart is deeply aghast with the Helicopter crash happened in Katra, Jammu-Kashmir, ending Seven innocent lives. 1/2 — Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) November 23, 2015
Sad to know about the accident of Helicopter near Vaishno devi.
— V Satish (@v_shrivsatish) November 23, 2015
