Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed deep grief following a fatal helicopter crash in Chamoli that claimed six lives. Authorities have ordered a detailed probe and directed immediate relief for the families of the deceased victims.
CM Dhami Mourns Fatal Helicopter Crash
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed deep grief over the loss of life in the helicopter crash in the Chamoli district. Praying for the peace of the departed souls, the Chief Minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
According to the CMO, the Chief Minister has instructed the concerned officials to conduct a detailed investigation into the causes of the accident, emphasising that all aspects of the crash must be examined seriously. Furthermore, the Chief Minister directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the affected families and to promptly ensure necessary relief and other arrangements.
Incident Overview and Rescue Efforts
All six people, including the pilot, on board a helicopter that went missing while flying from Badrinath Dham in Chamoli to Dehradun have died after the aircraft crashed, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) Chief Executive Officer Prateek Jain informed ANI over the phone on Friday. The helicopter had gone missing earlier in the day after taking off from Badrinath for Dehradun.
Victim Profile
Among the deceased was Arun Salunke, who hails from Aratala village in Athani taluk of Karnataka’s Belagavi district, a 2007-batch officer. Salunke initially served as an Intelligence Inspector in Delhi before working in Nelamangala, Kunigal and Banaswadi in Bengaluru. He was currently posted with the Central Crime Branch (CCB). His wife and two children live in Bengaluru, while his father and brother reside in Aratala village.
Search and Tracking Details
Earlier, 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.
According to the SP, personnel at a nearby Army post reported seeing the helicopter heading into the valley, approximately one kilometre above the Bhandakand Temple near Pandukeshwar. “According to personnel at a nearby Army post, the helicopter was observed heading into the valley, about 1 kilometre above the Bhandakand Temple near Pandukeshwar.” (ANI)
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