Operation Underway to Retrieve Bodies from Joshimath Helicopter Crash

Rescue teams are working to recover victims of the Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter crash near Joshimath. The remains will be transported to AIIMS Rishikesh as officials and families coordinate after the tragic accident.

Operation Launched to Retrieve Helicopter Crash Victims

Joshimath (Uttarakhand) [India], October 31 (ANI): An operation has been underway since Saturday morning to retrieve the bodies from the helicopter crash site in Joshimath and transport them to the roadhead through a trekking route, Prateek Jain, CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), said. Jain stated that the mortal remains would be airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, where the families of the victims are currently arriving.

“The operation has been underway since this morning to retrieve the bodies from the crash site and bring them to the roadhead via a trekking route. The mortal remains will be airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, where the families of the victims are currently arriving,” he said. The helicopter was en route from Shri Badrinath Dham in Chamoli to Dehradun when the accident occurred.

Official Response and Incident Details

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the tragic helicopter crash in the Joshimath area involving pilgrims returning from Badrinath Dham. Paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the accident, he extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Dhami also prayed to Lord Badri Vishal to grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the grieving families to bear this irreparable loss.

Search Operations and Timeline

The helicopter had gone missing on Friday after taking off from Badrinath for Dehradun. Two teams comprising police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army personnel were deployed from Pandukeshwar and Joshimath to search for the missing helicopter carrying six people, including a pilot and five passengers, Chamoli Superintendent of Police (SP) Surjeet Singh Panwar said on Friday.

In a self-recorded video statement, Panwar said the Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter took off from the Badrinath civil helipad for Sahastradhara helipad on October 30 at approximately 1:12 PM. Its transmission link with the radar was lost near Joshimath at 1:14 PM. “A helicopter belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation took off from the Badrinath civil helipad, bound for the Sahastradhara helipad, today, October 30, at approximately 1:12 PM. At 1:14 PM, its transmission link with the radar was lost near Joshimath,” he said. (ANI)

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