Uttarakhand chopper crash: All six on board killed, says Chamoli District Magistrate

The privately run chopper crashed about an hour after it took off from Badrinath on its way to Dehradun

Updated - October 30, 2026 05:52 pm IST

SDRF and other security personnel conduct a search and rescue operation at the site after a helicopter carrying six people on board, including the pilot, crashed into a hillside near Joshimath, about an hour after it took off from Badrinath on its way to Dehradun, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand on October 30. | Photo Credit: PTI

All six passengers in the chopper in Badrinath crash died at the spot, said District Magistrate Chamoli, Gaurav Kumar on Friday (October 30, 2026). The six people on board the Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd.’s helicopter were identified as Capt. Himanshu and five male passengers — Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja.

A team from the Indian army that has reached the spot confirmed the fatalities.

The helicopter on the way from Badrinath to Dehradun carrying six people, including the pilot, crashed near Joshimath on a rained out, overcast Friday afternoon (October 30, 2026), Uttarakhand disaster management officials said.

The chopper crashed into a hillside near the JP Power House near Marwari Bridge around 2.20 p.m., they said. It is not confirmed yet whether it was returning from the Badrinath shrine. Teams of the Chamoli administration, police, SDRF, Army and ITBP have been dispatched to the site for relief and rescue operations, they said.

चाई गांव, जोशीमठ के निकट हेलीकॉप्टर क्रैश होने की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। जिला प्रशासन, आपदा प्रबंधन विभाग, एसडीआरएफ द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है। स्वयं भी पूरे घटनाक्रम की निरंतर निगरानी कर रहा हूं। गंभीर रूप से घायलों को तत्काल एयरलिफ्ट कर बेहतर उपचार हेतु हायर सेंटर पहुंचाने के निर्देश दिए हैं। ईश्वर से यात्रियों के सकुशल होने की कामना करता हूं।— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) October 30, 2026

Passengers were from Bengaluru, initial reports say

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said that a Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd’s helicopter bearing call sign VT-HCX, operating from Badrinath to Sahastradhara, Dehradun, which took off at approximately 1.15 p.m., went missing around 2.20 p.m.

“The helicopter lost communication when it was flying over Joshimath valley. At the same time, the tracking system could no longer track the helicopter, and its current location has not been ascertained yet,” said a statement issued by UCADA.

UCADA CEO Prateek Jain earlier said that details about the passengers were being verified, with initial reports saying they were from Bengaluru. He said that the location where the helicopter has crashed has not been traced yet. “As soon as the weather clears, another rescue helicopter will be sent to locate the missing chopper, he added.

UCADA said that as a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. has been grounded.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a post on X, 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,” he added.

Published - October 30, 2026 03:32 pm IST

India / Uttarakhand / air and space accident

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.