Uttarakhand: A helicopter travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday afternoon, with a pilot and five passengers reportedly on board, officials said.
The aircraft, reportedly operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, crashed near Chai village at around 2.20 pm, close to the JP Power House. It had earlier lost contact near Hathi Parvat, also known as Hathi Pahad, in the Joshimath area.
Officials said the helicopter was returning to Dehradun from Badrinath, but it was not immediately confirmed whether it had been carrying pilgrims from the Badrinath shrine.
There were conflicting initial reports about the number of people on board. While officials initially said a pilot and five passengers were aboard, a district disaster management official said the exact number of passengers was yet to be confirmed.
Teams from the district administration, Disaster Management Department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Police, Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have also been sent to the site. An aerial search team was deployed in another helicopter to locate the missing aircraft.
Casualties and injuries had not been confirmed at the time of reporting. Heavy rainfall in the region has reportedly hampered rescue efforts.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was monitoring the situation and that a joint rescue operation was under way.
"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," he said in a post on X.
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
Dhami added that he had instructed officials to ensure that critically injured passengers were immediately airlifted to a higher-level medical facility for treatment. He also expressed hope for the safety of those on board.
The crash occurred amid adverse weather conditions in Uttarakhand, with rainfall and snowfall reported in several parts of the state.
Kedarnath Dham witnessed the season's first heavy snowfall after continuous snowfall since Thursday, 29 October. The surrounding hills were covered in snow, while temperatures in the region dropped.
Dr CS Tomar, director of the Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, said rainfall was expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in the hill districts.
Speaking to ANI, Tomar said heavy rainfall had been recorded at eight to nine locations across the state on 29 October, particularly in Uttarkashi, Tehri and Haridwar districts. He said similar conditions were expected on Friday, with a greater likelihood of rainfall in the Kumaon region.
He forecast light to very light rainfall in the hill districts on 31 October and isolated showers, particularly in northern hill districts, on 1 and 2 November.
District administrations have been placed on alert in view of the weather forecast. On Thursday, District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the District Emergency Operations Centre to remain on alert to monitor weather conditions and oversee precautionary measures.
Authorities are also monitoring road conditions and the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines through live CCTV cameras. The administration has appealed to devotees and pilgrims to take precautions against the cold and follow advisories issued by the administration and police.
Further details about the crash, including the condition of those on board, are awaited.
(With agency input from ANI & PTI)
(This story is compiled by Gopika KP, and Aiswarya Padmakumari.)
