Jyotirmath, 01 November (H.S.): The rescue operation following the helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has been completed, with the mortal remains of all six victims successfully recovered. After a challenging operation in difficult, high-altitude mountainous terrain, the remains were brought to the nearest roadhead and transported to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Joshimath. Following the completion of the necessary formalities, all six mortal remains were airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, on Sunday.

According to the district administration, teams from various rescue agencies had been engaged in recovery operations at the crash site since the accident. The remote location, rugged mountainous terrain and difficult trekking routes posed significant challenges for the rescue personnel. Despite these difficulties, teams from the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, district administration and Forest Department coordinated their efforts to complete the operation.

Rescue personnel trekked through challenging mountain routes to reach the crash site. They subsequently retrieved the mortal remains of all six victims and transported them safely to the nearest road access point.

Considering the difficult geographical conditions and limited accessibility of the mountainous region, resources and manpower from multiple agencies were deployed collectively to carry out the operation.

The mortal remains were transported by road to the Community Health Centre in Joshimath, where the necessary legal and medical formalities were completed. Arrangements were then made to airlift all six remains from the NTPC helipad to AIIMS Rishikesh.

With the recovery and transportation of all six victims completed, the operation at the crash site has now been brought to a close. The mission involved coordinated efforts by the Army, local administration and various disaster management agencies.

The helicopter crash occurred on October 30, when a private aircraft returning from Badrinath Dham to Dehradun crashed in the Joshimath area of Chamoli district. The AS350B3 helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd, took off from the Badrinath helipad at around 1.14 pm for the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. There were six people on board, including the pilot and five passengers.

The helicopter crashed in a forested area near Chai village in the Joshimath region. Following reports of the accident, the local administration, police and security agencies immediately launched search and rescue operations. The remote location, surrounded by mountainous terrain and forest, made it difficult for rescue teams to reach the site.

The crash claimed the lives of all six people on board, including the pilot and five passengers.

Rescue teams reached the accident site and began recovery efforts. The steep mountain trails, high altitude and challenging conditions made the retrieval of the mortal remains particularly difficult. Personnel from the various agencies continued the operation in close coordination until all six remains were safely recovered.

With the mortal remains of all six victims airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, the recovery operation has been completed. The coordinated response by multiple agencies once again highlighted the considerable challenges involved in conducting rescue operations in remote and rugged Himalayan terrain.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar