Six Dead in Trans Bharat Aviation Helicopter Crash Near Joshimath in Uttarakhand, Officials Say

Six people on board a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter died after it crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday afternoon, according to Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar. The aircraft was traveling from Badrinath to Dehradun when it went down near Chai village.

Authorities stated that the helicopter took off from Badrinath for the Sahastradhara Heliport at 1:14 pm. Contact was lost while it crossed the Joshimath Valley, and it was reported missing near Hathi Parvat before search teams located bodies at the crash site.

Incident Details and Passenger Information

According to the passenger manifest cited by officials, six individuals were on board, including the pilot and five passengers reportedly from Bengaluru:

• Pilot: Captain Himanshu
• Passengers: Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja.

Prateek Jain, CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), stated that tracking systems lost the aircraft's signal near the Joshimath Valley. Sub-Inspector Manohar Kanyal of the Joshimath police post noted that information regarding a crash landing above Chai village was received from the SDM Joshimath at 2:14 pm.

Rescue Operations and Precautions

• Joint search and rescue teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, local police, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), were deployed to the area.
• As a precautionary measure, Prateek Jain confirmed that the entire fleet of helicopters belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation has been grounded.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated on social media that he was monitoring the situation and that rescue operations were under way.

Weather Conditions

The incident occurred amid adverse weather conditions, with rainfall and snowfall reported in several parts of Uttarakhand. The India Meteorological Department's Dehradun centre reported ongoing wet weather across parts of the state, with district administrations remaining on alert.

How to Verify

Official updates regarding the incident can be verified through statements released by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the Chamoli district administration, and announcements from state disaster management authorities.