Uttarakhand: Another helicopter accident has been reported in Uttarakhand. A helicopter carrying six people, including the pilot, reportedly crashed in the Joshimath area after taking off from Badrinath.

According to the information shared by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the helicopter belonged to Trans Bharat Aviation and was flying over the Joshimath valley when it lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC). Its tracking system also reportedly stopped functioning.

Later, information was received about the crash near Chai village in the Joshimath region.

Following the incident, teams from the Indian Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and district administration were dispatched to the crash site. Two additional helicopters have also been deployed for the search operation.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to ensure that seriously injured people are shifted to a major hospital without delay.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the helicopter had been permitted to operate despite bad weather and snowfall in some areas. However, the exact cause of the crash is yet to be established.

As a precautionary measure, all helicopter operations of Trans Bharat Aviation have been suspended.