UK: Helicopter crashes near Joshimath; all 6 on board, including the pilot, killed
!! Helicopter Rescue Update !!
Chamoli: Regarding the helicopter crash that occurred on Friday, police report that on October 30, 2026, a helicopter belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. (call sign VT-HCX) departed from Badrinath, bound for Sahastradhara (Dehradun). The helicopter took off from Badrinath at approximately 13:12; shortly thereafter, at around 13:14, contact with the aircraft was lost while it was flying over the Jyotirmath valley. The disappearance of the helicopter was reported via an Army post.
Upon receiving the information, the police administration took immediate action, dispatching joint teams—comprising police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Army—from Pandukeshwar and Jyotirmath to conduct search and rescue operations. Additionally, drone teams were deployed from the district headquarters in Gopeshwar to assist in the search. All teams are working in coordination to carry out an ongoing search operation for the missing helicopter. Efforts were made to gather information regarding the helicopter and the individuals on board, as detailed below:
Details of the individuals on board (a total of 6 people, including the pilot):
!! Pilot !!
Captain Himanshu Sabharwal, aged 48, resident of Delhi. !! ——————— Passengers !!
Pratapa, aged 41, resident of Karnataka.
Arun Salunke, aged 44, resident of Karnataka.
V.B. Shankar Gowda, aged 39, resident of Karnataka.
Sudhir K., aged 50, resident of Karnataka.
H.S. Nataraja, aged 51, resident of Karnataka. The bodies of all 06 individuals, including the pilot, have been recovered following the helicopter crash. Joint teams comprising the police, SDRF, and the Army are engaged in a rescue operation at the site. Efforts are currently underway to transport the bodies from the inaccessible crash site to the nearest road.
