Dehradun, 30 October (H.S.): A massive relief and rescue operation has been launched following the crash of a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter travelling from Badrinath Dham to Sahastradhara in Dehradun in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.

Teams from the Indian Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the police and the district administration have been dispatched to the accident site.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing and mobilise all available resources. He is personally monitoring the developments. Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik has also sought details of the incident from officials and instructed all concerned agencies to coordinate closely and expedite the rescue efforts.

According to Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, the Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer informed the authorities about the helicopter at around 2 pm on Friday. A team from the Army’s Signal Centre had reportedly spotted smoke rising from the helicopter as it descended rapidly in the Hathi Parvat area of Joshimath. Following this information, the district administration immediately activated the rescue teams.

Two helicopters belonging to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) are conducting aerial reconnaissance of the accident site, while an extensive search operation is also underway on the ground. An additional SDRF team has been dispatched from Sahastradhara to assist in the operation.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, the helicopter was carrying six people, including pilot Captain Himanshu and five passengers identified as Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K. and H.S. Natraja.

UCADA said the Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter had taken off from Badrinath at approximately 1.14 pm on Friday, bound for the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. Contact with the aircraft was lost after it entered the Joshimath valley. Its tracking system also stopped functioning, making it difficult for authorities to ascertain its location.

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli and Director General of Police Deepam Seth are also closely monitoring the rescue operation. Coordination between the district administration and various rescue agencies is being maintained through the State Emergency Operations Centre.

To ensure immediate medical attention for anyone injured in the incident, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, Base Hospital in Srinagar and other relevant healthcare facilities have been placed on alert. Medical teams have been instructed to remain prepared with the necessary resources to provide emergency treatment.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar