Joshimath Helicopter Crash: All 6 People on Board Dead, Bodies Recovered, Confirms Chamoli SP
All six people aboard a helicopter that crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday, October 30, have died, and their bodies have been recovered, Chamoli Superintendent of Police (SP) Surjit Singh Panwar confirmed.
All six people aboard a helicopter that crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday, October 30, have died, and their bodies have been recovered, Chamoli Superintendent of Police (SP) Surjit Singh Panwar confirmed. The helicopter was carrying five passengers and a pilot when it crashed near Joshimath while travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun.
The confirmation marks a tragic end to the search operation that was launched after the aircraft lost contact with authorities while flying over the Joshimath valley. The wreckage was subsequently located near Chai village in the district. Uttarakhand Helicopter Missing: Aircraft With 6 People on Board Loses Contact Near Joshimath.
Helicopter Lost Contact Mid-Air Before Crash
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. and bore the call sign VT-HCX. It took off from Badrinath at approximately 1:14 pm for Sahastradhara in Dehradun. The aircraft lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley. Its tracking system also stopped registering its location, prompting authorities to launch a search operation.
Five Passengers and Pilot Identified
The five passengers who died in the crash have been identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H.S. Natraja. The pilot was identified as Captain Himanshu. Teams from the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were mobilised following reports that the helicopter had gone missing.
Bad Weather Suspected as Possible Cause
The crash occurred amid adverse weather conditions in Uttarakhand, with rainfall and snowfall reported across several parts of the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for Chamoli on October 30, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms and gusty winds of 40–50 kmph in isolated areas. Rain and snowfall were also forecast along the Badrinath-Joshimath route.
However, the exact cause of the crash has not yet been established. As a precautionary measure, the Uttarakhand aviation authorities grounded the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation following the incident. Further details regarding the investigation are awaited.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2026 05:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
