Uttarakhand Chopper Crash: Six Bodies Recovered and Airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh
Rescue teams have recovered the mortal remains of all six victims from the wreckage of the private helicopter that crashed near Joshimath, transporting them to AIIMS Rishikesh for autopsies.
News Desk · November 2, 2026 · 1 min read
The mortal remains of all six people who died in the helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand were recovered from the accident site and airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh on Sunday morning. The recovery operation concludes a intensive search and rescue mission conducted across difficult mountain terrain following the disaster.
The private helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and carrying five passengers alongside the pilot, went down on Friday afternoon. The aircraft was returning from the Badrinath shrine to Dehradun when it lost contact and crashed into a hillside near Chai village in the Chamoli district.
Chamoli district administration officials stated that joint teams comprising personnel from the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, police, and the Forest Department were deployed for the search operation. Rescuers had to negotiate steep, high-altitude mountain trails on foot from the Pandukeshwar side to reach the remote crash location.
After locating the wreckage, teams transferred the bodies from the accident site to a nearby road head before moving them to the Community Health Centre in Joshimath. Following initial administrative formalities, the remains were flown by helicopter to AIIMS Rishikesh for post-mortem examinations.
Authorities confirmed that the deceased included pilot Himanshu Sabharwal and five passengers hailing from Karnataka. Among the victims was a Bengaluru police inspector who was on personal leave visiting the pilgrimage destination with acquaintances.
State officials stated that arrangements are underway to hand over the bodies to respective families following the completion of legal and medical formalities. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has initiated a preliminary assessment into the incident, and the state government has ordered a formal inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash.