India
oi-Ashish Rana
A helicopter carrying six people, including the pilot and five passengers, has reportedly crashed near Chai village in Joshimath, Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, on Friday afternoon. The aircraft was travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun when authorities lost contact with it.
A Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter carrying six people, including pilot Captain Himanshu and five passengers from Bengaluru, crashed near Chai village in Joshimath, Uttarakhand on Friday afternoon while en route from Badrinath to Dehradun amidst suspected adverse weather.
The helicopter belonged to Trans Bharat Aviation and took off from Badrinath for Sahastradhara Heliport at 1.14 pm. Here is what we know so far about the incident, the people on board and the rescue operation.
1. What Happened Near Joshimath?
The helicopter reportedly crashed into a hillside near Chai village while crossing the Joshimath Valley. Authorities lost track of the aircraft on their monitoring system.
Prateek Jain, CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), told PTI, “As it was crossing the Joshimath Valley, we suddenly lost track of it on our tracking system, which we use to monitor its movements.”
Local information also alerted authorities about the possible crash near an Army camp above Chai village.
2. Who Were On Board The Helicopter?
According to the passenger manifest, six people were travelling in the helicopter, including the pilot and five passengers.
The people on board have been identified as:
Passengers:
- Prathapa
- Arun
- Shankar Gowda
- Sudheer K
- H S Natraja
All five passengers are reportedly from Bengaluru.
Reports suggested that all six people were feared dead. However, authorities had not officially confirmed these reports, and their condition remained unclear.
3. What Is The Status Of The Rescue Operation?
The SDRF, Army, police and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have been deployed to locate the helicopter and carry out rescue operations.
Joshimath police received information about the incident from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at 2.21 pm. Officials said the helicopter’s location was showing near an Army camp above Chai village.
UCADA has also grounded the entire helicopter fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation as a precautionary measure.
4. What Has Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Said?
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was personally monitoring the situation and that a joint rescue operation was underway.
In a post on X, he said, “I am personally monitoring the situation closely.”
चाई गांव, जोशीमठ के निकट हेलीकॉप्टर क्रैश होने की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। जिला प्रशासन, आपदा प्रबंधन विभाग, एसडीआरएफ द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है। स्वयं भी पूरे घटनाक्रम की निरंतर निगरानी कर रहा हूं। गंभीर रूप से घायलों को तत्काल एयरलिफ्ट कर बेहतर उपचार हेतु हायर सेंटर पहुंचाने के निर्देश दिए हैं।ईश्वर से यात्रियों के सकुशल होने की कामना करता हूं।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) October 30, 2026
He also directed officials to ensure that critically injured passengers are immediately airlifted to higher-level medical facilities.
5. Did Bad Weather Cause The Crash?
The incident took place amid adverse weather conditions in Uttarakhand. Kedarnath witnessed its first heavy snowfall of the season following continuous snowfall since Thursday, 29 October.
The India Meteorological Department has also forecast rainfall in several hill districts over the coming days.
Bad weather is suspected to have contributed to the incident, but the exact cause of the crash has not yet been officially established.
