Air Crash / Helicopter with six people on board goes missing near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district

Joshimath, Oct 30: A helicopter carrying six people, including the pilot, has gone missing near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district while travelling from Badrinath to Fata. The aircraft, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, reportedly lost contact near Hathi Parvat amid snowfall and poor weather conditions.

According to initial information, the helicopter took off from Badrinath at around 2.15 pm and is suspected to have crashed near Chayi village, behind Hathi Parvat in the Joshimath area. However, authorities have not officially confirmed a crash, and the aircraft wreckage has not yet been located.

Search and rescue operations have been launched, with teams from the Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and health department deployed to the area. Two other helicopters have also been pressed into service to trace the missing aircraft.

Persistent rainfall and dense cloud cover have hampered search efforts, making it difficult for teams to establish the helicopter's exact location.

Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chandra Shekhar Vashishth said authorities were examining the possibility of a crash and that teams were heading towards the suspected site.

"Yes, it is possible that there has been a crash. The Army, our SDRF team, police team and our health department team are reaching the site. I am also on my way to the site," Vashishth said.

Officials are yet to confirm the circumstances surrounding the disappearance or whether the helicopter has crashed. Further details are awaited.

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Earlier emergency landings in October
The incident comes after two emergency landings involving Char Dham helicopters were reported in Uttarakhand earlier this month. One helicopter made an emergency landing in Rudraprayag due to poor weather, while another was forced to land in Tehri following a technical issue.

In June 2025, seven people were killed after a helicopter carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed in a forest in Uttarakhand.

The latest incident has again highlighted the operational challenges faced by helicopters in the state's mountainous terrain, particularly during periods of poor weather and low visibility.