NewZNew (Jammu) :  A Helicopter carrying a group of pilgrims bound for Vaishno Devi has crashed in Jammu’s Katra, killing six pilgrims and a woman pilot. The aircraft had caught fire after it crashed.

The helicopter belonged to the privately-run Himalayan Heli Services, which also runs choppers for the Chardham Yatra.  The chopper, which was returning from Sanjichat to Katra, had crashed ostensibly due to the fog, sources said. Several flights had been unable to land at the Jammu airport this morning due to the foggy weather.

Officials have rushed to the spot. The bodies, which have been recovered, are being identified, sources said. The pilot, Sumita Vijayan, was the chief pilot of the company.

Thousands visit Vaishno Devi, one of the major pilgrim centres of India, every day. During the recent Navratras, more than one lakh people had paid obeisance at the cave shrine.