Chamoli: A helicopter carrying six people crashed into a hillside near Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Friday, October 30, triggering a major rescue operation. The aircraft was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. and was reportedly travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun.
The crash occurred around 2:20 pm near JP Power House, close to Marwari Bridge. Officials said the helicopter had taken off from Badrinath at approximately 1:15 pm.
There was no immediate official confirmation of casualties.
Six People Were On Board
The helicopter was carrying pilot Captain Himanshu and five male passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H S Natraja.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the aircraft, bearing call sign VT-HCX, lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley.
Its tracking system also stopped receiving signals, and its location could not initially be established.
UCADA CEO Prateek Jain told PTI that passenger details were being verified. Initial reports indicated that the passengers were from Bengaluru.
Rescue Teams Deployed at Crash Site
Teams from the Chamoli district administration, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were dispatched for search and rescue operations.
UCADA officials said another rescue helicopter would be sent to locate the aircraft once weather conditions improved.
As a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. was grounded following the incident.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Monitors Situation
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was closely monitoring the situation and had directed officials to ensure that critically injured passengers, if any, were immediately airlifted to advanced medical facilities.
In a post on X, Dhami confirmed that a joint rescue operation was underway near Chai village, close to Joshimath.
He also expressed concern for the safety of those on board and urged authorities to ensure prompt rescue and medical assistance.
Previous Helicopter Accidents in Char Dham Sector
The incident has renewed concerns about helicopter safety during the Char Dham pilgrimage season.
An analysis by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recorded nine occurrences, including eight accidents and one serious incident, in the Char Dham sector between 2015 and 2025.
The analysis also indicated at least one accident or serious incident every year from 2022 onwards.
Four helicopter accidents were recorded last year, including two fatal crashes. This was the highest number of accidents reported in a single year during the period, according to the AAIB.
Badrinath is one of the four prominent pilgrimage destinations in Uttarakhand's Char Dham circuit. Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath are the other three shrines.
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