DEHRADUN, India: A private chopper carrying six people—five passengers and a pilot—crashed into a hillside near Chaien village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, triggering a large-scale emergency response across the rugged Himalayan region.
The aircraft, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, was en route from Badrinath to Dehradun when it went down around 2:20 PM local time near the JP Power House in the Joshimath area.
Following the impact, local authorities immediately deployed an aerial search team aboard a second helicopter to locate the wreckage and assess the condition of those on board. Meanwhile, ground rescue units—comprising personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and local police—rushed to the remote site to initiate life-saving operations.
While officials have not yet confirmed the exact operational status of the flight or verified casualties, emergency teams remain focused on reaching potential survivors in the difficult terrain.
Reacting to the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that a coordinated joint effort is actively underway to secure the crash zone.
“We have received the unfortunate news of a helicopter crash near Chaien village, close to Joshimath,” Dhami stated in a post on X. “A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF. I am continuously monitoring the entire incident. Instructions have been given to immediately airlift the seriously injured to higher centres for better treatment.”
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Consequently, regional medical teams and specialized airlift units remain on high alert as search and rescue personnel navigate challenging topography to clear the crash site and establish communication from the ground.
