A helicopter crashed today in India, killing at least six people onboard.

The private chopper was en route to the holy town of Gangotri from Dehradun when it plunged into the Gangani area of Uttarakhand on Thursday morning, May 8.

Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft, operated by AeroTrans Services Pvt Ltd, was carrying six passengers and one pilot at around 9 am.

The 60-year-old captain was among those killed in the crash, while the sole survivor was airlifted to the hospital with injuries.

An incident report from the Aviation Safety Network stated: 'A Bell 407 crashed in a wooded area and fell into a deep gorge of about 200-250 metres near Gangnani, Uttarakhand, India. Six of the seven occupants perished and the helicopter was destroyed.'

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences over the tragedy.

He said: 'May God grant peace to the souls of those who died in the accident and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow.

'I have instructed the administration to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident. I am constantly in touch with the officials in this regard and every situation is being monitored.'

Footage shows emergency responders evacuating the victims, with the helicopter visibly badly wrecked.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will examine the cause of the crash.