Six feared dead in helicopter crash in Indian Himalayan state, media report

Bad weather suspected to be cause of crash, rescue operation underway

Six people ‌were feared dead in a helicopter crash in the Indian Himalayan state of ​Uttarakhand on Friday, television channels ​reported, adding that bad weather was ⁠suspected to be the cause.

The helicopter ​was flying from Badrinath, a prominent ​pilgrimage destination for Hindus located in the mountains, to Dehradun city, carrying five passengers ​and a pilot, news agency ANI ​reported.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said his ‌office ⁠had received information about a helicopter crashing near a village in the Joshimath area. A joint rescue operation ​was being ​carried out ⁠by the district administration, disaster management teams and troops ​in the region, Dhami said ​in ⁠a post on X.

चाई गांव, जोशीमठ के निकट हेलीकॉप्टर क्रैश होने की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सूचना प्राप्त हुई है। जिला प्रशासन, आपदा प्रबंधन विभाग, एसडीआरएफ द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन चलाया जा रहा है।

स्वयं भी पूरे घटनाक्रम की निरंतर निगरानी कर रहा हूं। गंभीर रूप से घायलों को तत्काल एयरलिफ्ट…

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) October 30, 2026

TV channels said that rescue teams had rushed to ⁠the ​site of the ​crash and fire and smoke were visible there.