On rescue mission, IAF's Mi-17 helicopter crashes in Uttarakhand - Tuesday June 25,2013

In a tragic accident that underlines the risks pilots are taking to evacuate those stranded after the Uttarakhand flash floods, a Mi 17 V5 helicopter ferrying rescue personnel from the temple town of Kedarnath to a base camp crashed on Tuesday June 25,2013 afternoon. All 20 people who were reportedly on board are feared dead.

The Mi 17 V5 chopper, the very latest in the inventory of the Indian Air Force, went down while it was heading towards the temporary air base at Gaucher, and crashed in difficult terrain north of Gaurikund, the base camp for the 14 km trek up to Kedarnath.

The IAF has stated that the confirmed casualties are at least eight, but sources coordinating the rescue operations on the ground have put the number at 20. This includes nine ITBP, six NDRF personnel and the five crew members.