- Helicopter crash killed six near Joshimath, Uttarakhand.
- Five passengers from Karnataka, pilot also died.
- Selfie video of victim emerged before takeoff.
Joshimath Chopper Crash: A selfie video shot by one of the five passengers emerged on social media hours after a helicopter crashed at Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Friday. The government said the Uttarakhand agencies are coordinating with the Karnataka authorities to send the mortal remains of the victims back to their homes at the earliest.
In the viral video, 41-year-old Pratap Bachihalli Ningaraju, was seen wearing a black T-shirt and sunglasses, NDTV reported. He caught his smiling expression with his selfie camera on his phone moments before the ill-fated helicopter took off from the Badrinath helipad for Dehradun.
Dehradun-Bound Helicopter Crashes in Chamoli; Five from Karnataka and Pilot Declared Dead Bengaluru All six people on board, including five passengers from #Karnataka and the pilot, were killed after a private helicopter crashed into rugged mountainous terrain in #Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday afternoon. The aircraft, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd., was flying from Shri #BadrinathDham to the Sahastradhara helipad in #Dehradun. It took off from Badrinath at around 1:12 PM and lost contact shortly before crashing into the upper ridge above Chain village under Jyotirmath Tehsil at approximately 2:00 PM. According to an Action Taken Report issued by the #Chamoli District Disaster Management Authority, a team from the #IndianArmy’s 9 Independent Mountain Brigade reached the crash site at 3:30 PM and confirmed that all six occupants died on impact. The deceased have been identified as: 1.Capt. Himanshu Sabharwal (Pilot) 2.Arun Salunke, Inspector, Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru Police; resident of #Belagavi district 3.H.S. Natraj, businessman; resident of Tumakuru district 4.Prathapa B.N., businessman; resident of #Hassan district 5.Sudeer K., advocate; resident of #Bengaluru 6.Shankargowda V.B., advocate; resident of #Tumakuru district According to reports, Inspector Arun had availed three days of leave to visit Badrinath and was accompanied by four friends. The group was scheduled to return to Bengaluru tomorrow. A mobile video recorded by Prathapa shortly after boarding the helicopter has also surfaced online, marking what would tragically be his final footage. Uttarakhand officials stated that steep, challenging terrain and failing daylight hampered immediate recovery operations. Efforts are underway to transport the mortal remains to the nearest road head by tomorrow morning, after which post-mortem examinations and legal formalities will be completed before the bodies are flown to Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed grief over the tragedy and stated that the state government is coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the victims' remains. An official inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash.
— Yasir Mushtaq (@path2shah) October 30, 2026
Who Were The Other Four Passengers Killed In Crash?
The other four passengers who died in the accident are: Arun Salunke, an inspector with the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police; advocates Shankar Gowda and Sudheer K; and H S Natraja, a poultry businessman. Pilot of the Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd.'s helicopter, Capt. Himanshu, also died.
🚨 UTTARAKHAND CHOOPER TRAGEDY UPD The Chamoli SP office confirms all six bodies—including the pilot and five Bengaluru passengers—have been recovered from the crash site. Joint rescue ops are underway @pushukdhami @adgpi #UttarakhandCrash #Chamoli #Bengaluru #SDRF #IndianArmy https://t.co/tu7L49S2vj
— jarvis ☠️ (@Vishii14) October 30, 2026
The privately run chopper crashed about an hour after it took off from Badrinath on its way to Dehradun. All of them were from Bengaluru. A Bengaluru Police inspector was among five victims from Karnataka
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According to a statement from the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority and Social Security and Pensions, the CMO and the Relief Commissioner are coordinating with their counterparts in Uttarakhand to facilitate the transportation of the mortal remains to Karnataka at the earliest.
The Office of the Resident Commissioner, Karnataka Bhavan, is also in close coordination with the Uttarakhand authorities.
"As per the information received from the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), a civil helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, carrying one pilot and five passengers from Karnataka, crashed at approximately 2 PM on Friday in the hilly terrain of the Hathi Parvat area while travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun," it said.
On receiving the information, the Uttarakhand authorities mobilised teams from the Army, SDRF, ITBP, Police, Health Department and District Disaster Management authorities to undertake search and rescue operations, it said.
The rescue teams have recovered the mortal remains of all six persons, including the pilot, and they were being brought to Joshimath for post-mortem, the statement said.
(With Agencies Inputs)