A helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation crashed near Chai village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday afternoon while en route from Badrinath to the Sahastradhara Heliport in Dehradun. The aircraft, which was carrying six people—a pilot and five passengers—lost contact with tracking systems while crossing the Joshimath Valley at approximately 1:14 p.m.
Prateek Jain, CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), confirmed that the agency lost track of the helicopter shortly after its departure. "As it was crossing the Joshimath Valley, we suddenly lost track of it on our tracking system, which we use to monitor its movements," Jain stated. He added that as a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation helicopters has been grounded while authorities work to determine the circumstances of the incident.
The passengers on board have been identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja, all reportedly from Bengaluru. The pilot was identified as Captain Himanshu. While local reports suggested the possibility of fatalities, officials have not yet provided official confirmation regarding the condition of those on board.
Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, involving personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indian Army, local police, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Sub-Inspector Manohar Kanyal of the Joshimath police post noted that authorities were alerted to a crash landing above Chai village by the local sub-divisional magistrate at 2:21 p.m.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that he is monitoring the situation closely. In a post on social media, he confirmed that a joint rescue operation is underway and that he has issued instructions to prioritize the medical evacuation of any survivors. "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," the Chief Minister said.
The crash occurred amid challenging weather conditions in the region, which has recently experienced significant rainfall and snowfall. While the exact cause of the accident remains under investigation, adverse weather is suspected to have been a contributing factor. Meteorological officials have warned that light to moderate rain is expected to persist in the hilly districts over the coming days, prompting district administrations to remain on high alert.
