Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: All Six On Board Killed Near Joshimath, Bodies Recovered

All six people aboard a helicopter travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun were killed after the aircraft crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, October 30. The bodies were recovered from the crash site, officials said. The helicopter, operated by private firm Trans Bharat Aviation, was carrying five passengers and a pilot when it lost contact while crossing the Joshimath valley.

Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar confirmed that all six occupants had died. Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) chief executive Prateek Jain also confirmed the deaths to news agency ANI.

Helicopter Lost Contact Over Joshimath Valley

The aircraft, bearing the call sign VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath at around 1.14 pm and was headed for Sahastradhara heliport in Dehradun. Its tracking signal was lost as it crossed the Joshimath valley. The helicopter subsequently crashed into a hillside near Chai village, with reports placing the crash at around 2.20 pm. The aircraft was carrying six people — Captain Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H S Natraja. The passengers were reportedly from Bengaluru.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were deployed after the aircraft went missing. The district administration coordinated the search operation, while personnel were sent towards the reported crash site near Chai village. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was monitoring the situation and that instructions had been issued for a coordinated response. The entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation was grounded as a precautionary measure, The Tribune reported.

Bad Weather Alert Issued For Chamoli

The crash occurred amid adverse weather conditions in the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for Chamoli on Friday, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and gusty winds of 40–50 kmph in isolated areas. It had also forecast light to moderate rainfall across the district, with light rain and snowfall possible along the Badrinath-Joshimath route. However, authorities had not established the cause of the crash, and the weather warning alone does not confirm that conditions caused the accident.

The incident has renewed concerns over helicopter safety in Uttarakhand, where aircraft are frequently used to transport pilgrims and visitors across mountainous terrain. According to data from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation cited by The Tribune, the state recorded seven helicopter crashes between 2020 and 2025, resulting in 21 deaths. The figures placed Uttarakhand among the states with the highest number of helicopter accidents during the period. Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Friday’s crash, including the aircraft’s flight data, weather conditions and operational factors.