Uttarakhand: A helicopter carrying six people, including a pilot and five passengers, went missing in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday while flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara heliport in Dehradun, prompting a search and rescue operation involving the Indian Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and district administration.
According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, took off from Badrinath at around 1:14 PM. It lost communication while passing through the Joshimath valley, and its tracking system subsequently stopped transmitting its location.
UCADA Chief Executive Officer Prateek Jain said teams had been mobilised to the area to trace the aircraft and prepare for a rescue operation. As a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation has been grounded.
The Chamoli district administration said smoke was spotted near Chai village following the helicopter’s disappearance. Information received from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Joshimath, also indicated a possible crash landing in the area. However, officials had not confirmed whether the aircraft had crashed or made an emergency landing.
An aerial search team was also deployed using another helicopter to locate the missing aircraft.
UCADA identified the pilot as Captain Himanshu. The five passengers were identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and H.S. Natraja.
The incident comes amid adverse weather conditions across Uttarakhand. Rainfall and snowfall have been reported in several parts of the state, with Kedarnath Dham witnessing the season’s first heavy snowfall.
The India Meteorological Department’s Dehradun centre has forecast continued rainfall activity over the coming days, particularly in the hill districts. Light to moderate showers were expected at several places, while isolated areas in the northern hills could receive light rainfall on November 1 and 2.
In view of the weather conditions, district administrations have been placed on alert. Authorities are monitoring road conditions and the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines through CCTV cameras.
Pilgrims and commuters have been advised to take precautions against the cold and follow advisories issued by the district administration and police.
Further details about the missing helicopter and the search operation are awaited.
[DD news]