Bengaluru: Five residents of Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka were among the six people killed after a helicopter crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Friday, October 30. The victims included a Bengaluru police inspector and four other passengers who were travelling on a pilgrimage to Badrinath. The helicopter pilot, who was from Delhi, also died in the accident.
The helicopter was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and was flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun when it crashed in the hilly terrain of Chamoli district. The incident occurred shortly after take-off, with officials reporting that the aircraft lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley.
Six people killed in the crash
The five passengers from Karnataka were identified as police inspector Arun Salunke, H.S. Nataraj, K. Sudheer, Shankar Gowda and Pratap Gowda. The pilot was identified as Captain Himanshu Sabharwal, 48, from Delhi.
According to reports, the five friends had travelled to Uttarakhand for a pilgrimage and had reached the region on Wednesday. They boarded the helicopter on Friday morning for their return journey from Badrinath to Dehradun.
The crash took place near Chhai village in the Hathi Parvat area, close to Joshimath.
Bengaluru police inspector among the victims
Arun Salunke, 44, was serving with the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru. He was attached to the special inquiry squad and had previously served in different police roles across Bengaluru.
The other passengers included H.S. Nataraj, a businessman from Tumakuru; Pratap Gowda, a civil contractor from Bengaluru; and advocates K. Sudheer and Shankar Gowda. Reports identified the group as close friends who had planned the pilgrimage together.
Helicopter lost contact shortly after take-off
According to officials, the helicopter took off from Badrinath at approximately 1.14 pm and lost communication around two minutes later while flying over the Joshimath valley. The aircraft reportedly crashed into a hillside near JP Power House, close to Marwari Bridge.
An Army Signal Centre team spotted smoke rising from the area and alerted the authorities. Rescue teams from the Army, Uttarakhand Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were deployed to the crash site.
All six bodies were subsequently recovered. Adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain hampered rescue operations.
Karnataka government coordinates with Uttarakhand
The Karnataka government said the Chief Minister’s Office and the Relief Commissioner were coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities to facilitate the transportation of the victims’ mortal remains to Karnataka.
The incident has also drawn attention to helicopter safety during the Char Dham pilgrimage season, when aircraft are frequently used to transport pilgrims to high-altitude religious destinations.
Further details regarding the cause of the crash are awaited as the authorities continue their investigation.