A helicopter carrying six people from Badrinath to Dehradun went missing between Badrinath and Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, triggering an urgent aerial search operation.
In a post on X, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the aircraft crashed near Chaien village, close to Joshimath. Calling the incident unfortunate, he stated that a joint rescue operation by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF is underway.
According to Sub-Inspector Manohar Kanyal of the Joshimath police post, information about the crash landing was received from the Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) at 2.21 pm.
“At 14:21 hrs, information was received from the SDM Joshimath regarding the crash landing of a helicopter above Chai village in the Joshimath area. In this regard, UCADA officials stated that the location of a Trans Bharat helicopter, which was flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara, is showing near the Army Camp above Chai village. There are 05 passengers and 01 pilot on board. Complete details regarding the crash or crash landing are not yet available,” Kanyal said.
Officials said the exact condition of those on board and the cause of the incident were yet to be ascertained. Rescue teams were trying to reach the site, which lies in a difficult mountainous area above Chai village.
Incident amid bad weather
The incident occurred amid adverse weather in Uttarakhand, where several districts have witnessed rainfall and snowfall over the past two days. Kedarnath Dham received the season’s first heavy snowfall, with the surrounding hills covered in a thick layer of snow and temperatures falling sharply.
Dehradun Meteorological Centre Director Dr C S Tomar said rainfall activity was likely to continue over the next few days, especially in the hilly districts. He said heavy rainfall was recorded at eight to nine places across the state on Thursday, particularly in Uttarkashi, Tehri and Haridwar districts.
“Tomorrow, on the 31st, chances of light to very light rain will persist, especially in the hilly districts. Similarly, on the 1st and 2nd (of November), light to very light rain may be witnessed at isolated places, particularly in our northern hilly districts,” Tomar told ANI.
Administration on alert
In view of the forecast, district administrations have been put on alert to ensure the safety of pilgrims and commuters. Chamoli District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the activation of the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) in alert mode to monitor weather conditions and coordinate precautionary measures.
Authorities are also keeping a watch on road conditions and the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines through live CCTV cameras. Pilgrims and travellers have been advised to follow advisories issued by the administration and police and take necessary precautions against the cold.
