Six Die in Trans Bharat Aviation Helicopter Crash Near Joshimath
- Six people died when a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter crashed near Joshimath.
- The victims included a pilot from Delhi and five pilgrims from Bengaluru.
- Karnataka police inspector Arun Salunke was among those killed in the accident.
- Rescue teams from the Army, SDRF, and police have recovered all mortal remains.
- The DGCA has launched a regulatory assessment into the cause of the crash.
Six people died on Friday when a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter crashed in a forest area near Chai village in Joshimath, Uttarakhand. The aircraft, a model AS350B3 with registration VT-HCX, went down in the Hathi Parvat area at approximately 2 PM.
The helicopter departed from the Badrinath helipad at 1314 hours and traveled toward the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun before losing communication over the Joshimath valley.
Five of the deceased were friends from Bengaluru who were on a Char Dham pilgrimage.
Victims identified as Bengaluru pilgrims and pilot
The five passengers who died in the crash were friends from Bengaluru on a Char Dham pilgrimage.
Salunke, a 2007 batch officer from the Central Crime Branch, was a native of Artal village in Belagavi district. He lived in Bengaluru with his wife and two children and began three days of leave on October 28 to visit Badrinath.
Among the other passengers, Prathapa lived in Hassan, while Natraja and Gowda resided in Tumakuru district. Sudheer K was a resident of Bengaluru.
The pilot, identified as Capt. Himanshu, was a native of Delhi.
Joint rescue operations recover mortal remains
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the crash occurred near Chaien village. Rescue teams from the Indian Army, State Disaster Response Force, and local police reached the crash site to conduct operations.
Uttarakhand authorities also mobilized the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Health Department, and District Disaster Management to recover the mortal remains. Officials transported the remains to Joshimath for post-mortem examinations.
The Karnataka government confirmed that search teams recovered the remains of all six victims. The Karnataka Chief Minister's Office, the Relief Commissioner, and Karnataka Bhavan are coordinating with Uttarakhand officials to repatriate the victims to Karnataka.
DGCA launches regulatory assessment of Trans Bharat Aviation
Trans Bharat Aviation operated the helicopter involved in the crash. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation dispatched a team to Dehradun to conduct a preliminary regulatory assessment of the accident.
Orange alert issued for Chamoli district weather
The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for the Chamoli district on Friday, October 30, 2026. The forecast warned of thunderstorms, hail, gusty winds, and heavy rainfall.
Historical context of Uttarakhand helicopter incidents
Over the last decade, Uttarakhand has documented a minimum of 12 helicopter incidents, consisting of seven non-fatal occurrences and five significant fatal crashes. Near the Badrinath helipad, an Agusta AW119 MK II managed by Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd went down on June 10, 2017, which resulted in the death of one aircraft maintenance engineer and left two pilots injured.
All seven occupants perished on October 18, 2022, when a Bell 407 run by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd struck a mountain ridge at Garud Chatti. A crash involving a Bell 407 operated by Aero Trans Services Pvt Ltd occurred near Gangnani on May 8, 2025, leading to one serious injury and six fatalities.
Near Gaurikund, a Bell 407 under the operation of Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd crashed on June 15, 2025, causing the deaths of all seven individuals on board.
Video footage captures final moments of flight
A video captured the helicopter with six people on board moments before the crash. A video captured the helicopter with six people on board moments before the crash.
Political leaders express condolences to victims' families
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Home Minister Priyank Kharge, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy expressed their condolences. The leaders promised assistance to the families of the deceased.
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