A helicopter carrying six people crashed near Chaien village in Uttarakhand on Friday. The aircraft took off from Badrinath at 1:14 pm before losing contact. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF." Teams are searching.
A helicopter carrying six people crashed near Chaien village close to Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Friday while flying from Badrinath to Dehradun.
The helicopter had initially been reported missing, prompting the district administration to launch a search operation.
Aerial search teams were deployed and smoke was later spotted near Chaien village in Joshimath.
According to the Chamoli district administration, the helicopter was carrying six people, including five passengers and a pilot.
Follow Updates
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a joint rescue operation was underway involving the district administration, the disaster management department and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
"We have received the unfortunate news of a helicopter crash near Chaien village, close to Joshimath. A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF. I am continuously monitoring the entire incident. Instructions have been given to immediately airlift the seriously injured to higher centres for better treatment..." the Chief Minister said in a post on X.
Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) said authorities were still working to ascertain details of the incident.
"We have received this information. We are getting more confirmation about it. Yes, it is possible that there has been a crash. The rest of the army, our SDRF team, police team and our health department team are reaching the site. I am also on my way to the site," the SDM said.
Multiple Agencies Join Search Operation
Medical personnel have been dispatched to the area as authorities intensify search and rescue operations.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Madan Singh Bisht said officials were collecting information about the incident and verifying details.
Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer Nandkishore Joshi said reports indicated that a white object was seen burning in the forested area above the JP Dam, raising suspicions that it could be the missing helicopter. Additional helicopters have been pressed into service for aerial surveillance and search operations.
According to initial reports, the helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and bearing registration number VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath on Friday at 1:14 pm. The aircraft was last in contact near the Army post on Hathi Pahad, opposite Joshimath.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said rescue efforts were launched immediately after the administration received information about the incident. He said district authorities were working closely with the helicopter operator to assess the situation.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, six people were on board the helicopter including pilot Capt. Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja.
Search operations have been hampered by adverse weather conditions, with continuous rainfall and low cloud cover affecting visibility in the region.
More details, including the status of those on board, are awaited.