A tragic helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand has claimed the lives of all six people on board. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a detailed investigation and extended his condolences to the affected families from Karnataka.
CM Dhami Orders Investigation Into Fatal Crash
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday expressed grief over the death of six people in a helicopter crash near Joshimath in Chamoli district and directed officials to conduct a detailed investigation into the accident, while instructing the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved families. Dhami prayed for the peace of the departed souls and extended his condolences to the families of the deceased. He directed officials to examine all aspects of the accident and ensure a detailed investigation into its causes. He also instructed the district administration to promptly arrange necessary relief and assistance for the affected families.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, was travelling from Badrinath Dham to Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun when it crashed in the Joshimath area. All six people on board, including the pilot and five passengers from Karnataka, died in the incident. Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) Chief Executive Officer Prateek Jain told ANI that the helicopter departed from Badrinath at around 1:14 pm and crashed in the vicinity of Joshimath Valley. The aircraft was bearing call sign VT-HCX. Jain said the helicopter lost communication while passing through the valley, following which its tracking system also stopped receiving its location. “A helicopter belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation departed from Badrinath for the Sahastradhara heliport at 1:14 PM. We have been unable to trace the helicopter’s location since it was passing through the vicinity of the Joshimath valley,” he said.
Rescue Operations and Site Discovery
Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar said the helicopter took off from the Badrinath civil helipad for Sahastradhara helipad at approximately 1:12 pm, with its transmission link with the radar lost near Joshimath at 1:14 pm. In a self-made video, Panwar said two teams comprising police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army personnel had been deployed from Pandukeshwar and Joshimath to trace the missing helicopter. “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.
Personnel at a nearby Army post reported seeing the aircraft heading into the valley, approximately one kilometre above the Bhandakand Temple near Pandukeshwar. A drone was also deployed from Gopeshwar to assist in locating it. “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,” he added.
Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Anand Swaroop had earlier said that a chartered helicopter carrying five people from Bengaluru and a pilot lost contact near Marwari, above Joshimath, at around 2 pm. He said SDRF and other relevant teams had been deployed and assistance from the Army was being sought. “Around 2:00 PM today, a chartered helicopter—carrying five people from Bengaluru and a pilot—lost contact near Marwari, above Joshimath,” Swaroop said.
At 2:21 pm, information regarding a possible crash landing above Chai village in the Joshimath area was received from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Joshimath. Sub-Inspector Manohar Kanyal of Joshimath Post said UCADA officials had informed them that the helicopter’s location was showing near the Army Camp above Chai village. At that stage, complete details about the incident were not available. The Chamoli district administration also reported smoke rising near Chai village, following which an administrative team was sent to the area, and an aerial search team was deployed using another helicopter.
Confirmation of Casualties
UCADA CEO Jain said rescue teams comprising personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Army, SDRF and district administration were mobilised immediately. The Army team was the first to reach the crash site at around 3:30 pm. “The Army team was the first to reach the crash site at approximately 3:30 PM. The site, identified as Chaigaon in the Joshimath tehsil of Chamoli district, confirmed the crash. Sadly, all six individuals on board—the pilot and five passengers—have died in the accident. We have gathered details: the pilot was a resident of Delhi, while the five passengers were from Bangalore,” Jain said.
Chamoli Additional District Magistrate Vivek Prakash said the helicopter crashed at a high altitude near Hathi Pahar, close to Chaini village. He said teams had reached the site and were recovering the bodies, which were to be brought down to Joshimath for post-mortem examinations. In a self-made video, he said, "A very tragic incident occurred today in my district. A helicopter returning from Badrinath towards Sahastradhara crashed at a high altitude near 'Hathi Pahar,' close to Chaini village. It is a deeply saddening event; all five passengers and the pilot have tragically lost their lives. Our teams have reached the site, and they are in the process of recovering the bodies, which will then be brought down to Joshimath. We will have post-mortem examinations conducted there tomorrow.”
The Karnataka government, in a press note, confirmed that the mortal remains of all six people had been recovered. According to information received from the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), the helicopter crashed at around 2 pm in the hilly terrain of the Hathi Parvat area while travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun. The deceased have been identified as pilot Captain Himanshu Sabharwal, a resident of Delhi, and five passengers from Karnataka – Prathap, Arun Salunke, Shankaregowda, Sudheer K and H.S. Nataraj.
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