Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: All Six Onboard Killed After Chopper Goes Down Near Joshimath
In Short
All six people, including the pilot, were killed after a helicopter carrying five passengers from Badrinath crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Rescue teams recovered all bodies as officials began examining the cause of the accident.
Share :
Six people were killed when the helicopter crashed
Six people were killed when the helicopter crashed near the village of Chayi in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday afternoon, including the pilot. It went down in the Joshimath Valley while flying a flight path from the temple town of Badrinath with 5 passengers.
The aircraft's crash occurred hours after it lost contact with the air force and went off radar. A search and rescue was initiated upon reports of the accident being received around 2.20 pm. Additional six occupants were later found dead at the scene.
Passengers and Pilot Identified
The five passengers were from Karnataka and have been identified as Arun Salunke, HS Natraj, Prathapa Ningarajan, Sudeer K and Shankargowda VB. Arun Salunke was a police inspector with the Bengaluru Police Crime Branch.
The pilot, Himanshu Sabharwal, was from Delhi. He was operating the helicopter owned by private aviation operator Trans Bharat Aviation.
Rescue Teams Recovered All Six Bodies
According to the District Disaster Management Officer, an Army team from the 9 Independent Mountain Brigade reached the accident site at around 3.30 pm and confirmed that all six people had died.
Two additional helicopters and drones were deployed to locate the wreckage. Personnel from the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also joined the rescue operation.
Bad Weather Conditions in the Region
The helicopter reportedly lost communication at around 1.30 pm while flying over the Joshimath Valley. Its tracking system also stopped transmitting signals.
The region had been experiencing heavy rainfall and dense cloud cover, with snowfall reported in some areas. However, Prateek Jain, CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), said the helicopter had been cleared for take-off after weather conditions were found favourable.
The exact cause of the crash has not yet been established. As a precautionary measure, officials grounded the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation.
Chief Minister Monitors Rescue Operations
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the crash and said the district administration, Disaster Management Department and SDRF had been directed to carry out rescue operations.
The Chief Minister's Office said Dhami and Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik had taken immediate cognisance of the incident and instructed officials to begin relief and rescue work without delay.
Dhami also said he was monitoring the situation and had directed authorities to ensure that any seriously injured passengers were airlifted to advanced medical facilities. All six occupants were subsequently confirmed dead.
Earlier Emergency Landings in Uttarakhand
The crash follows two emergency landings of Char Dham helicopters in Uttarakhand earlier this October.
Weather problems forced one helicopter to land in Rudrapayag and another landed in Tehri because of some technical issues.
The incident has brought back the issue of aviation safety and the risks involved due to weather conditions while operating helicopters in the Himalayan region.
