A helicopter carrying six people, including the pilot, is feared to have crashed in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district after losing contact shortly after taking off from Badrinath on Friday. The incident reportedly occurred amid heavy rainfall and poor visibility.
The helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley. Its tracking system also stopped transmitting, prompting authorities to launch search and rescue operations.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed a suspected crash near Chayi village in the Joshimath area. He said the district administration, Disaster Management Department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had been deployed to the site.
Dhami also directed officials to ensure immediate medical assistance and airlift seriously injured passengers to advanced medical facilities. Two additional helicopters have been deployed to support the search operation, while the Indian Army is also assisting.
The helicopter had five passengers and one pilot on board. Meanwhile, Trans Bharat Aviation has grounded its entire fleet as a precautionary measure.
The incident comes after two emergency landings involving Char Dham helicopters were reported earlier this month, one in Rudraprayag due to bad weather and another in Tehri following a technical problem.