Dehradun/Chamoli, 30 October 2026: A helicopter returning from Badrinath Dham has gone missing near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday. According to ANI, the aircraft was flying from Badrinath to Dehradun with six people on board: five passengers and a pilot.
The helicopter is reported to belong to Trans Bharat Aviation and lost contact somewhere between Badrinath and Joshimath. Some reports describe the route as Badrinath to Fata, so the exact destination is still being clarified.
Search operation under way
Several teams of police and the local administration are engaged in the search. The district administration has also sent another helicopter with an aerial search team to locate the missing aircraft. Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said full details about the number of people on board were not yet available at the time of the first reports, and the administration has expressed concern that the helicopter may have crashed.
A police officer has confirmed that information about the missing helicopter was received and that officials are gathering further details.
Bad weather hampers the search
Continuous rain and heavy cloud cover over the mountains have reduced visibility, making it hard for search teams to cover the terrain. Early reports suggest the aircraft may have gone down near Chayi village, behind Hathi Pahar in Joshimath, but this has not been confirmed and no wreckage has been found so far.
Earlier incidents this month
The incident comes after two emergency landings involving Char Dham helicopter services earlier in October. In one of them, a helicopter had to land in Rudraprayag after meeting poor weather.
What happens next
Families of those on board are waiting for official word. This is a developing story, and this article will be updated as soon as the administration shares confirmed information.
Report: Dehradun News Desk, based on reports by . Published 30 October 2026.
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