Six killed in pilgrimage helicopter crash near Joshimath
Original report: date unavailable
Five pilgrims and a pilot died when a helicopter crashed in Uttarakhand after reportedly departing Badrinath. Officials confirmed six bodies had been found. The cause remains unknown, with reports of heavy rain and poor visibility in the region.
A helicopter carrying five pilgrims and a pilot crashed near Joshimath in India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing everyone aboard, officials said. The aircraft reportedly left the Hindu pilgrimage site of Badrinath on Friday afternoon before contact was lost. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami placed the crash near a village in Chamoli district.
The local civil aviation authority subsequently told Indian media that six bodies had been found. The cause has not been established. Heavy rain and poor visibility were reported in the region, and India's weather department had issued an orange alert warning of thunderstorms, hail and strong winds before the crash.
Helicopter services are increasingly popular with pilgrims avoiding difficult Himalayan journeys, but repeated accidents have raised safety concerns. Crashes near Kedarnath in June 2025 and on the same pilgrimage route in October 2022 each killed seven people. Other accidents during the 2025 season prompted tighter safety checks and restrictions on some operations.
Source
BBC News
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