DEHRADUN: A chopper that belonged to Trans Bharat Aviation crashed into a hillside near Chai village around 2.20pm while flying from Badrinath to Dehradun.Police, SDRF, Army and ITBP personnel rushed to the spotThe wreckage of a helicopter that crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday has been found, with all six people on board, including the pilot, feared dead, officials said.The helicopter, carrying five passengers and a pilot crashed near Chai village.The aircraft, operated by private company Trans Bharat Aviation, crashed into a hillside near the JP Power House, the district administration said.It was not immediately clear whether the helicopter was carrying passengers returning from the Badrinath shrine.
Image Credit: X
Helicopter lost contact near Joshimath; what we know so far?
According to Sub-Inspector Manohar Kanyal of Joshimath police post, information was received from the Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) at 2.21pm that a helicopter had reportedly made a crash landing above Chai village in the Joshimath area.Also read: Wreckage of crashed helicopter found near Joshimath; all 6 on board feared dead (Video)Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) personnel informed officials that the location of a Trans Bharat helicopter was showing near the Army camp above Chai village.The Joshimath and Pandukeshwar teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) left for the spot at 2.24pm.
Pilot, five passengers on board
The helicopter, bearing call sign VT-HCX, was being operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd.It had taken off from Badrinath at approximately 1.14pm for Sahastradhara heliport in Dehradun before losing communication while flying over the Joshimath valley.According to UCADA, six people, including the pilot, were on board the helicopter. They have been identified as:
- Pilot: Capt Himanshu
- Passengers: Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H S Natraja
As a precautionary measure following the incident, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd has been grounded, UCADA said.
‘Monitoring rescue operation’
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was closely monitoring the situation and had directed officials to ensure that critically injured passengers were immediately shifted to a higher-level medical facility.In a post on X, Dhami said, “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.“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. I pray to God for the safety of the passengers.”
Crash amid rain and snowfall in Uttarakhand
The crash comes as several parts of Uttarakhand experience adverse weather conditions, with rainfall and snowfall reported across the state.Kedarnath Dham witnessed the season’s first heavy snowfall following continuous snowfall since Thursday. The surrounding hills were covered in a thick blanket of snow, while temperatures in the region dropped.Dr CS Tomar, director of the Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, said rainfall activity was expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in the hilly districts, with light to moderate showers likely at several places.Speaking to ANI, Tomar said heavy rainfall was recorded at eight to nine places across the state on October 29, particularly in Uttarkashi, Tehri and Haridwar districts. He added that similar weather conditions were expected on Friday, with higher chances of rainfall activity in the Kumaon region.“Tomorrow, on the 31st, chances of light to very light rain will persist, especially in the hilly districts. Similarly, on the 1st and 2nd (of November), light to very light rain may be witnessed at isolated places, particularly in our northern hilly districts,” he said.
Districts on alert as weather forecast continues
In view of the weather forecast, district administrations have been placed on alert to ensure the safety of pilgrims and commuters.On Thursday, District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) to remain in alert mode 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.
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