Joshimath helicopter crash: six feared dead as Badrinath pilgrim flight goes down in Uttarakhand storm alert
A Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter with five pilgrims and a pilot crashed near Joshimath on Friday. All six are feared dead and the operator's fleet is grounded.
At a glance
- The helicopter, call sign VT-HCX, left Badrinath at about 1:14 pm India time on Friday, October 30, with five pilgrims and a pilot.
- It lost contact over the Joshimath valley and came down near Chai village; wreckage has been reported found and all six are feared dead.
- No official death toll had been confirmed at the time of publication; search teams from the army, SDRF and police are on the ground.
- Uttarakhand's aviation authority has grounded Trans Bharat Aviation's entire fleet as a precaution.
- An orange weather alert for thunderstorms, hail and strong winds was in force in the area.
A private helicopter carrying five Hindu pilgrims and a pilot crashed near Joshimath in India's Uttarakhand state on Friday afternoon, and all six are feared dead. Wreckage has been reported found on a hillside in Chamoli district, though no official death toll had been confirmed when this report was published. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a joint rescue operation was under way.
The aircraft, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation under call sign VT-HCX, was flying from the Badrinath shrine to Sahastradhara in Dehradun. Heavy rain and poor visibility were reported in the valley when it disappeared.
The last known minutes of flight VT-HCX
The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority said the helicopter took off from Badrinath at about 1:14 pm India time (12:44 pm in Pakistan). Over the Joshimath valley it lost radio contact, and its tracking system then stopped showing its position.
District officials put the crash at about 2:20 pm near Chai village, also spelled Chayee, and said the aircraft hit a hillside near the JP Power House. The gap between those two times has not been explained, and investigators have not given a cause. The state aviation authority grounded Trans Bharat Aviation's whole fleet as a precaution.
| What is known so far | Detail |
|---|---|
| On board | 6: pilot Captain Himanshu and 5 passengers |
| Operator | Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd |
| Route | Badrinath to Sahastradhara, Dehradun |
| Take-off | About 1:14 pm India time |
| Crash site | Near Chai village, Joshimath area, Chamoli district |
| Weather | Orange alert: thunderstorms, hail, strong winds |
| Official death toll | Not confirmed at publication |
Who is searching, and what is still unconfirmed
Teams from the Indian Army, the State Disaster Response Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, police and the district administration were sent to the site, and a second helicopter was launched for an aerial search. The terrain is steep, and officials said they were still coordinating how to reach the wreck.
Dhami said on X that he was personally monitoring the operation and had ordered that anyone critically injured be airlifted to a better-equipped hospital. Officials have released the names of the five passengers. GlobeHourly is not publishing them until families have been told and the outcome is confirmed.
Still open: the condition of those on board, the official toll, and whether weather or a technical fault brought the aircraft down.
Why Char Dham helicopter flights keep drawing safety questions
Badrinath is one of the four shrines of the Char Dham pilgrimage, with Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The temples open for only part of the year because of harsh Himalayan winters, and helicopters let pilgrims skip days of hard mountain travel. The flights run through narrow valleys where the weather can change fast.
| Date | Accident | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| October 30, 2026 | Near Joshimath, returning from Badrinath | 6 feared dead |
| June 2025 | Near Kedarnath | 7 |
| October 2022 | Same Kedarnath route | 7 |
Several other helicopter accidents during the 2025 season led aviation authorities to tighten safety checks and restrict some operations. Whether Friday's flight should have gone ahead under a weather alert is likely to be among the first questions for investigators.
What travellers on the route should expect
The grounding of Trans Bharat Aviation's fleet may affect pilgrims with bookings on the operator's flights, who should contact the company directly. The next step is for search teams to confirm the fate of the six people on board; the cause will be examined after that.
Questions people are asking
Where did the Uttarakhand helicopter crash happen?
Near Chai (also spelled Chayee) village in the Joshimath area of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on a flight from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun.
How many people were on the Joshimath helicopter?
Six: pilot Captain Himanshu and five passengers. Officials have released the passengers' names, and all six were feared dead when this report was published, with no official toll yet.
