A helicopter carrying six people, including the pilot, reportedly crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday while flying from Badrinath to Dehradun.
The helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, took off from Badrinath at around 2:14 pm amid snowfall. It reportedly lost contact near the Hathi Parvat area. The aircraft was later located near Chai village, above an Army camp in the Joshimath region.
According to the Chamoli district administration, five passengers and one pilot were on board. Smoke was reportedly spotted rising from the area near Chai village after the helicopter went missing, raising concerns about a possible crash.
At around 2:21 pm, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Joshimath alerted authorities about the reported crash landing near Chai village. Officials from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) subsequently confirmed that the helicopter’s location was being tracked near an Army camp in the area.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Department, the six people on board included pilot Captain Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja.
Following the incident, rescue teams from the state administration, along with personnel from the Indian Army, were deployed to the location to conduct search and rescue operations. Authorities also dispatched two additional helicopters to assist in locating the aircraft and supporting the ongoing rescue efforts.
Further details about the condition of those on board and the circumstances surrounding the incident are awaited.