Six killed as helicopter crashes in Himalayan valley in northern India

Six dead after helicopter goes down

Authorities said in a communiqué that six people died on Friday, 30 October 2026, when a helicopter crashed in a valley in the Himalayas. The five passengers and the pilot had boarded the aircraft at Badrinath, a Hindu pilgrimage site in the northern state of Uttarakhand, and it came down near Joshimath in Chamoli district. Earlier reports from the same day described a helicopter that had lost contact, with rescuers still searching and the condition of those on board unclear. Accounts also differed on the intended destination, with one naming Dehradun, the state capital, while the crash itself was placed in a village area close to Joshimath. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was following the situation closely as the operation developed.

“I am continuously monitoring the entire incident”

Search and recovery

Dhami said a joint rescue operation involving the district administration, the disaster management department and the State Disaster Response Force was under way. A separate aerial search had been launched with another helicopter after the local administration lost contact with the aircraft. Dhami also directed that gravely hurt survivors, if any were found, be taken to medical centres by helicopter. Police said in a statement that efforts were under way to bring the bodies from the hard-to-reach crash site to the nearest road, and no timeline for the recovery was given. The terrain was described as particularly difficult for rescuers.

Weather and the flight route

The India Meteorological Department had forecast rain across Uttarakhand on Friday, 30 October, two days after cyclone Arnab passed the southeast coast of India. A separate warning for Chamoli district pointed to storms, hail and gusts of up to 50 km/h, with rain and snow forecast along the Badrinath to Joshimath route. Reports said rain and low visibility were making it harder to locate the wreckage. Badrinath is home to a sacred temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, which millions of pilgrims visit each year. Wealthier pilgrims use chartered helicopters to reach mountain shrines without the long treks.

Operator and earlier crashes

The executive director of the Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority said the entire fleet of helicopters belonging to Trans Bharat Aviation had been grounded as a precaution. The crashed aircraft was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, according to reports. In June 2025, at least seven pilgrims died when a helicopter crashed near Kedarnath, another Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand. A further seven people died in a crash on a pilgrimage route in the state in October 2022. Helicopter services have grown popular with pilgrims seeking to avoid punishing mountain treks, and their safety has drawn scrutiny after a run of accidents. After the 2025 pilgrimage season, authorities added safety checks and limited some flights.