Badrinath-Dehradun Helicopter Crash Near Joshimath, All Six On Board Killed

Six people were killed after a helicopter flying from Badrinath to Dehradun crashed near Jyotirmath, formerly Joshimath, in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday. The helicopter lost contact shortly after taking off at 1.14 pm, triggering a search and rescue operation.

The aircraft crashed near Chayee village in the Jyotirmath area while heading towards the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. An Army team reached the crash site around 3.30 pm and found all six people on board dead, according to the report.

The crash prompted a joint response involving the Army, police, district administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The helicopter had lost communication shortly after take-off, while its tracking system had also stopped transmitting its location.

Who Were On Board The Helicopter?

The helicopter was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd and bore the registration number VT-HCX. It was flying from Badrinath Dham to the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun.

Those killed were pilot Capt Himanshu Sabharwal, 48, a resident of Delhi, and five passengers - Bachiali Nirajan, 41; Arun Salunke, 44; V B Shankar Gowda, 39; Sudhir K, 50; and HS Nataraja, 51. All five passengers were residents of Karnataka.

Salunke was a police officer serving with Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch (CCB). Rajya Sabha MP Mansoor Khan identified him in a post on X.

“Having served as Sub-Inspector and Circle Inspector across Bengaluru Central jurisdictions, he earned the respect of his colleagues through his commitment to duty and public service,” Khan wrote.

According to The Times of India, the other passengers were reportedly advocates.

Search And Rescue Operation

Contact with the helicopter was lost soon after take-off as it flew over the Jyotirmath valley. Its tracking system also stopped transmitting its location.

NK Joshi, Chamoli district disaster management officer, said the incident was reported through an Army post. Joint teams of the Army, police, district administration and SDRF were subsequently deployed.

Drone teams were sent from the district headquarters in Gopeshwar, while SDRF personnel from Jyotirmath were dispatched to the crash site. Teams faced the challenge of reaching the location in the mountainous terrain.

The helicopter was eventually found crashed near Chayee village, close to a hill in the Marwari area of Jyotirmath. Officials said the crash took place amid adverse weather conditions. The circumstances leading to the crash are yet to be established.