Chamoli: All six people aboard a helicopter travelling from Badrinath to Joshimath were killed after the aircraft crashed in Chamoli district on Friday afternoon.
The victims included five passengers and the pilot, officials confirmed.
Helicopter With Six People On Board Goes Missing Between Badrinath And Joshimath Amid Bad Weather, Safety Remains Unconfirmed #Badrinath #Uttarakhand #HelicopterMissing https://t.co/AzX26uIfU5
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) October 30, 2026
The helicopter, operated by private company Trans Bharat Aviation, lost communication while flying over Joshimath Valley. Its tracking system also stopped transmitting.
Authorities received reports of the incident around 2:20 pm, following which search and rescue teams were deployed. All six bodies were later recovered.
The five passengers, all from Karnataka, have been identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja. Arun was serving as a police inspector with the Bengaluru Police Crime Branch. The pilot, Himanshu, belonged to Delhi.
चाई गांव, जोशीमठ के निकट हेलीकॉप्टर क्रैश होने की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। जिला प्रशासन, आपदा प्रबंधन विभाग, एसडीआरएफ द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है।
स्वयं भी पूरे घटनाक्रम की निरंतर निगरानी कर रहा हूं। गंभीर रूप से घायलों को तत्काल एयरलिफ्ट कर बेहतर उपचार हेतु हायर सेंटर पहुंचाने के निर्देश दिए हैं।
ईश्वर से यात्रियों के सकुशल होने की कामना करता हूं।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) October 30, 2026
Teams from the Indian Army, Chamoli administration and State Disaster Response Force were mobilised to the suspected crash location.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the accident near Chayi village in Joshimath and said he was monitoring the rescue efforts.
#WATCH | Helicopter crash near Joshimath | Chamoli SP Surjeet Singh Panwar says, “A helicopter belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation took off today, October 30, at approximately 1:12 PM from the Shri Badrinath Civil Helipad, bound for the Kedar Helipad. At 1:14 PM, its communication link was lost near Joshimath. According to a nearby Army post, the helicopter was sighted heading into the valley, about one kilometre above the Ghanta Khad temple near Pandukeshwar. We have dispatched two teams—one from the direction of Pandukeshwar and the other from Joshimath—comprising personnel from the Police, NDRF, and the Army. A search and rescue operation is currently underway. The helicopter was carrying a pilot, Himanshu Sabarwal (from Delhi), and five passengers from Karnataka. A comprehensive search is being conducted. A drone has also been deployed from Gopeshwar to assist in the search and rescue efforts. Any preliminary information received will be communicated accordingly”
(Video Source: Self-made)
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2026
Although the region had experienced heavy rainfall and cloud cover, officials said the helicopter had received flight clearance after weather conditions improved. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Meanwhile, Trans Bharat Aviation’s entire helicopter fleet has been grounded as a precautionary measure.
