A helicopter returning to Dehradun with pilgrims after darshan at Badrinath Dham has crashed near Chayee village in Chamoli district
Uttarakhand helicopter crash: Six feared dead, search operation underway: At least 6 pilgrims missing after a helicopter crash in Uttarakhand on Friday. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been dispatched to the crash site to carry out search and rescue operations.
According to sources, a helicopter carrying six pilgrims crashed near Chaien village near Joshimath in Uttarakhand. All six people on board are reporteadly missing. The helicopter was flying from Badrinath to Dehradun. District disaster management officer of Chamoli, Nand Kishore Joshi said,’A helicopter returning to Dehradun with pilgrims after darshan at Badrinath Dham has crashed near Chayee village in the Jyotirmath (previously Joshimath area) of Chamoli district. Its contact was lost near the hill close to Chayee village in the Marwari area of Joshimath.’
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in an ‘X’ post expressed grief over the helicopter crash. He said, ‘ A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF. I am continuously monitoring the entire incident. Instructions have been given to immediately airlift the seriously injured to higher centres for better treatment.’
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According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, six people were on board the helicopter, including pilot Capt. Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and HS Natraja.
Search operations have been hampered by adverse weather conditions, with continuous rainfall and low cloud cover affecting visibility in the region. More details, including the status of those on board, are awaited.
