In brief
A helicopter that departed from the pilgrimage town of Badrinath crashed in Uttarakhand’s snowy mountains, killing six people, officials say. Rescue teams from the district administration, disaster management department and State Disaster Response Force have begun a joint search. Smoke and a failed loss of radio contact were reported as the aircraft went missing.
A helicopter carrying six people, a pilot and five Hindu pilgrims, crashed Friday near Chayee village close to Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Local authorities say all six are feared dead.
Officials report the aircraft took off from Badrinath at about 1:14 p.m. local time amid snowfall and lost contact near the Hathi Parvat area. Shortly after the aircraft went missing, authorities set up a joint rescue operation with the district administration, the disaster management department and the State Disaster Response Force, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement posted on social media.
Another helicopter has been deployed for an aerial search of the area. Witnesses say smoke was seen rising from the crash site.
The incident follows earlier pilgrim helicopter crashes in the region, reflecting ongoing risks for flights in the high‑altitude, snow‑covered terrain of Uttarakhand.
