Jagran Correspondent, Chamoli: All six people on board the helicopter that crashed near Chaien village close to Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday afternoon have died and their bodies have been found, police said. 

The crash occurred near the JP Power House near Marwari Bridge around 2:20 PM while the helicopter, identified as belonging to 'Trans Bharat Aviation', was returning to Dehradun from Badrinath. Chamoli district officials stated that emergency response teams were immediately rushed to the spot following the incident. The six people on board were identified as Pilot Capt. Himanshu and five male passengers, Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja. All of them were from Bengaluru. The bodies have been found but not yet recovered, news agency PTI reported, citing Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar as saying.

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Search And Rescue Underway

Following the incident, a multi-agency search and rescue was launched in the area. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and local police were dispatched to the site.

District officials noted that while the helicopter was travelling the Badrinath-Dehradun route, they have not yet confirmed whether the aircraft was returning directly after ferrying passengers from the Badrinath shrine.

Uttarakhand CM Dhami Monitoring Situation Closely

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed concern over the unfortunate incident, confirming that coordinated rescue operations are in full swing.

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"Reports have been received regarding an unfortunate helicopter crash near Chai village, close to Joshimath. A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, the Disaster Management Department, and the SDRF," Dhami said.

The Chief Minister added, "I am personally monitoring the situation closely. I have issued instructions to ensure that those who are critically injured are immediately airlifted to a higher-level medical facility for better treatment. I pray to God for the safety of the passengers."

Here are the latest updates on the Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash:

- All six people on board the helicopter that crashed into a hillside in Joshimath have died, and their bodies have been found, news agency PTI reported.

- The six people on board the helicopter were identified as Capt. Himanshu and five male passengers, Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja. All of them were from Bengaluru.

- A disaster management officer stated that the army has arrived at the scene and has assumed command of the rescue operation, Jagran.com reported.

- Following the incident, the entire fleet M/s Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. has been grounded as a precautionary measure. 

- According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), all six individuals on board have been identified. The pilot was Captain Himanshu. The five passengers have been identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and HS Natraja.

- Speaking to news agency PTI, Prateek Jain, CEO of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), said, "The helicopter took off from Badrinath for Sahastradhara Heliport at 1: 14 PM today. As it was crossing the Joshimath Valley, we suddenly lost track of it on our tracking system, which we use to monitor its movements. We have also received some local information regarding the incident. So far, nothing has been confirmed. However, according to the information available in the passenger manifest, a total of six people were on board the helicopter: the pilot and five passengers. All five passengers are reportedly from Bengaluru. We are currently verifying these details as well. The helicopter's location has not yet been traced. However, search and rescue teams have been mobilised in coordination with the Chamoli district administration. The SDRF has also been deployed, along with a unit of the Army. As soon as the weather clears, we will send another rescue helicopter from here to locate the missing helicopter."

(With Inputs From Agencies And Devendra Rawat)