Dehradun: A helicopter that went missing on the Joshimath-Badrinath route in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district has crashed. Six people, including the pilot, were on board. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced this on Friday.
The helicopter reportedly took off from Badrinath at around 2:15 p.m. It was snowing in the area at the time. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter lost contact near the Hathi Parvat area.
After receiving information about the accident, state rescue teams and the army were dispatched to the scene. A search and rescue operation is currently underway.
CM Dhami said – I am constantly monitoring the situation
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on the social media platform X, saying, “Sad news has been received of a helicopter crash near Chhai village near Joshimath. A joint rescue operation is underway by the district administration, the Disaster Management Department, and the SDRF.”
He further said, “I am personally monitoring the entire incident. Instructions have been given to immediately transport the seriously injured to higher medical facilities for better treatment. I pray for the safe return of the passengers.”
Army, SDRF, and police teams rushed to the scene
Joshimath’s Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) Chandrashekhar Vashisht also confirmed the possibility of a helicopter crash.
He said, “Yes, it is possible that a helicopter has crashed. The Army, our SDRF team, the police, and the health department are rushing to the scene. I am also leaving for the scene.”
Several helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand over the past 10 years
It is noteworthy that at least 12 separate helicopter-related incidents have been recorded in Uttarakhand over the past decade. These include five major fatal accidents and seven non-fatal incidents. Non-fatal incidents include injuries during emergency landings, forced landings due to technical failures, and ground accidents.
Earlier, in June last year, a helicopter flying from the Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi crashed in a forest, killing seven people.