News Desk: A helicopter carrying six people, including five passengers and a pilot, crashed near Chaien village close to Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Friday, October 30. The incident occurred while the aircraft was travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun. Following the crash, a massive search and rescue operation was launched by the district administration and emergency response teams.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the incident and said that a joint rescue operation was underway with the involvement of the district administration, Disaster Management Department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). He also said that he was personally monitoring the situation and had instructed officials to immediately airlift seriously injured people to higher medical centres for better treatment.
According to initial reports, the helicopter was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and had the registration number VT-HCX. It took off from Badrinath at around 1:14 pm on Friday. The aircraft was reportedly last in contact near an Army post on Hathi Pahad, opposite Joshimath, before communication was lost.
The helicopter was initially reported missing, prompting authorities to launch an extensive search operation. During the search, smoke was spotted rising from a forested area near Chaien village. Officials also received reports of a white object burning above the JP Dam, raising suspicions that it could be the missing helicopter.
Several agencies, including the Army, SDRF, police and health department, were mobilised to reach the suspected crash site. Additional helicopters were also deployed for aerial surveillance and search operations. Medical teams have been sent to the area to provide immediate assistance.
According to information shared by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, the six people on board included pilot Captain Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja.
Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate said that authorities were working to verify further details of the incident. Deputy Superintendent of Police Madan Singh Bisht also confirmed that officials were collecting information and coordinating with the teams deployed at the site.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said rescue efforts began immediately after the administration received information about the incident. Officials were also in contact with the helicopter operator to gather further details.
However, adverse weather conditions have made the rescue operation more challenging. Continuous rainfall and low cloud cover have reduced visibility in the mountainous region, hampering aerial search efforts.
Authorities are continuing their efforts to reach the crash site and establish the condition of all six people on board. Further details are awaited as the rescue operation progresses.
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