In brief
A helicopter crashed near Chayee village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, killing all six occupants, including the pilot. The aircraft departed from Badrinath amid snowfall and lost contact near Hathi Parvat before the crash. Officials said a detailed investigation will determine the cause.
Officials reported that a helicopter crashed near Chayee village, close to Joshimath, on Friday, resulting in the deaths of all six occupants, including the pilot.
The aircraft had taken off from Badrinath, a Hindu pilgrimage town, around one hour and fourteen minutes p.m. local time on the same day amid snowfall that characterizes the region.
After departure, the helicopter lost contact while operating over the Hathi Parvat area, a mountain region within the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
The crash site lies approximately 290 kilometres northeast of Dehradun, the state capital, according to officials who manage civil aviation affairs in the region.
Prateek Jain, Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, confirmed the fatalities and said that a thorough investigation would be carried out.
"A detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident, and based on those findings, a decision will be made regarding how shuttle and charter operations will proceed for the remainder of the season," said Jain.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and directed authorities to pursue a detailed inquiry into the incident.
Dhami’s statement came after the agency’s announcement of the crash and the subsequent confirmation of the casualties.
The loss of all six crew members underscores the high-risk nature of helicopter operations in mountainous terrain, a point noted by aviation safety observers.
Officials indicated that further details regarding the type of helicopter and the number of passengers would be released as the investigation progresses.
The investigation will evaluate factors such as weather conditions, technical performance, and operational procedures to establish the cause of the accident.
State authorities plan to assess the implications for ongoing shuttle and charter services once investigative findings are available.
