CHAI VILLAGE, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA – OCTOBER 30, 2026 Helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation crashed near the village of Chai in the Joshimath area. The Airbus AS350B3 was returning from the pilgrimage site of Badrinath to Dehradun when it lost contact with air traffic control in adverse weather conditions and struck a mountainside. None of the six people on board survived the crash.
Among the victims were 48-year-old pilot Himanshu Sabharwal and five passengers from Bengaluru: 44-year-old police inspector Arun Salunke, 51-year-old HS Nataraja, 41-year-old Pratap Gowda Bachihalli, 50-year-old Sudhir K, and 39-year-old VB Shankar Gowda.
Rescue teams had to navigate difficult mountainous terrain to reach the wreckage. The military, police, and emergency services took part in the search and rescue operation. The operator’s entire fleet was grounded as a precaution following the crash. The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, and the circumstances of the tragedy are being investigated by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
READ MORE:
https://apnews.com/article/india-uttarakhand-helicopter-crash-hindu-pilgrimage-f33fa808644101ec4174e44e6d94ee0a
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/lost-contact-within-2-minutes-army-spotted-smoke-as-helicopter-lost-altitude-2-other-choppers-had-flown-same-route-earlier/articleshow/135387621.cms
https://english.zeenews.com/india/article-uttarakhand-helicopter-crash-all-six-on-board-killed-near-joshimath-rescue-teams-recover-bodies-3161009
