Helicopter with six onboard crashes near Joshimath after taking off from Badrinath, rescue underway
PTC Web Desk: A helicopter carrying six persons from Badrinath to Dehradun has crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, setting off a large rescue operation in the mountains.
The aircraft had five passengers and a pilot on board. According to preliminary information, it belonged to Trans Bharat Aviation and lifted off from Badrinath Dham at around 1.12 pm. Contact with it was lost suddenly while it was flying over the high-altitude route.
The Chamoli district administration said smoke was seen rising near Chaien village in Joshimath after the helicopter went missing. An aerial search team was sent out in another helicopter to trace the aircraft.
Weather in the area had been worsening at the time of the incident, which could make both the search and the rescue harder.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Uttarakhand Police were heading to the suspected crash site.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the crash in a post on X and said he was keeping a close watch on the situation. He said the district administration, the disaster management department and the SDRF were carrying out a joint rescue operation. He also directed officials to airlift anyone seriously injured to bigger medical centres without delay so they can get better treatment.
Officials have not yet shared details on the condition of those on board. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information comes in.
- PTC NEWS
