Efforts were under way to recover the bodies but police said this could take time because of the atrocious weather.
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Formal identification of those killed would take a few time, a spokesperson added.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says her sympathies are with the families of those killed in a New Zealand helicopter crash.
Four rescue helicopters – two from Christchurch, one from Fox Glacier and one from Greymouth – responded to the incident.
Glacier Country Tourism Group member Chris Alexander said emergency services had tried “their damnedest” to reach the scene.
A man answering calls at Alpine Adventures said the chopper was one of theirs but would not comment further as “details are scarce at this stage”. Images of the wreckage in a crevasse on the glacier in the west of the nation’s South Island have been released by police.
Police in a statement said they would resume a recovery operation on Sunday.
Four rescue helicopters were sent to the scene and a paramedic and alpine rescue team were winched down to the scene of the crash and confirmed there were no survivors.
The crash occurred in Fox Glacier, which is located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park – a popular tourist destination.
Its website says it has been in business for around 30 years and runs “an impressive fleet of modern turbine helicopters”.
It is feared that four British people and two Australians were among seven people to have died after a helicopter crashed into a glacier in New Zealand.
Relatives of the individuals on board are being notified, Stuff New Zealand reported.
“It was not ideal for helicopter flying”, he told the AP news agency.
The helicopter is said to have crashed at around 11 AM New Zealand local time on Saturday on the glacier.
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Cloud and rain in the area and bad weather conditions initially slowed the response.
