Badrinath Chopper Crash: Six Onboard Including Pilot Remain Untraceable, Rescue Work Underway, Here's What We Know

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A helicopter travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun crashed near Joshimath on Friday afternoon, confirmed Uttarakhand disaster management officials. The update came after the helicopter went missing.

Badrinath helicopter crashes with six people

One pilot and five passengers were on board. Six missing persons on board were Capt. Himanshu and Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja among passengers.

Rescue work is currently underway.

According to authorities in Chamoli district, teams have reached the crash site to conduct rescue operations.

It is not yet known if there were any casualties.

How Badrinath to Dehradun went missing

The helicopter was being operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. It took off at approximately 13:14 hours and lost communication when it was flying over Joshimath valley.

As it went untraceable, teams from the Indian Army, District Administration, Chamoli, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were dispatched to initiate search and rescue operations.

Later, smoke was seen rising near Chaien village in Joshimath, reported ANI.

What caused the crash

Bad weather and snowfall are suspected to have caused the crash. However, an official statement on it has not been issued.

The whole fleet of M/s Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd has been grounded.

Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), Prateek Jain told ANI, "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. Upon receiving this information, we mobilised the Chamoli district administration, the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), and an Army unit to the area near the incident site to prepare for a proper rescue operation. As a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of helicopters belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation has been grounded...According to initial information, there were 6 people on board-the pilot plus 5 others. We will share further details once we have confirmation..."

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reacts

In a post on X, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote, "Reports have been received regarding an unfortunate helicopter crash near Chai village, close to Joshimath. A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, the Disaster Management Department, and the SDRF.

“I am personally monitoring the situation closely. I have issued instructions to ensure that those who are critically injured are immediately airlifted to a higher-level medical facility for better treatment. I pray to God for the safety of the passengers," he added.

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