All 6 on board killed in helicopter crash in India's Uttarakhand

All six people, including the pilot, aboard a helicopter that crashed Friday in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand were killed, reported Xinhua, quoting officials.

The helicopter crashed near Chayee village close to Joshimath in Chamoli district, about 290 km northeast of Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand.

All six individuals on board the helicopter -- the pilot and five passengers -- have died in the accident, said Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, Prateek Jain, on Friday.

According to officials, the helicopter took off from Badrinath, a Hindu pilgrimage town, around 1:14 p.m. local time amid snowfall and lost contact near the Hathi Parvat area.

"A detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident, and based on those findings, a decision will be made regarding how shuttle and charter operations will proceed for the remainder of the season," Jain said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. Dhami has also directed the officials to conduct a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.