Six people were killed after a helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation crashed near Chai village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and five passengers from Bengaluru and was reportedly heading towards Dehradun when the accident occurred.
The pilot was identified as Captain Himanshu. The five passengers were identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H.S. Natraja.
According to the initial report, the helicopter lost contact while crossing the Joshimath valley. The crash occurred despite an orange weather alert warning of thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds in the region.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to coordinate rescue operations following the incident. District administration teams, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army personnel were involved in the response.
The Chief Minister also began monitoring the situation and directed officials to arrange assistance for those affected. The difficult terrain and weather conditions posed challenges for rescue teams operating near the crash site.
The incident has raised concerns about helicopter operations in Uttarakhand’s mountainous regions, particularly during periods of unstable weather. Further details about the cause of the crash are awaited.
