A chopper with six on board has crashed in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath on Friday. The chopper was flying to Dehradun from Badrinath when it crashed.
The crash has put spotlight on increasing number of helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand in the last decade. This includes five major fatal crashes and seven non-fatal incidents. The non-fatal incidents include forced emergency landings resulting in injuries, technical forced landings or ground safety fatalities. Maharashtra recorded four crashes with seven deaths, while Chhattisgarh saw one crash resulting in two casualties.
Between 2016 and 2026, Uttarakhand has recorded at least 12 distinct helicopter incidents. Last year, MoS, Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had informed the Rajya Sabha that Uttarakhand accounted for seven of the 12 major chopper crashes reported nationwide between 2020 and 2025. Of the 30 deaths in these incidents across India, 21 died in Uttarakhand alone. Read | Chopper With 6 On Board Crashes In Uttarakhand, Confirms Chief Minister The alarming figures have renewed concerns over aviation safety in the hill state, especially during the annual Char Dham yatra. One of the deadliest crashes occurred in October 2022, when a helicopter ferrying pilgrims to Kedarnath crashed on a hill, killing all seven onboard. Last year, two fatal crashes on May 8 in Uttarkashi and on June 15 near Kedarnath claimed 13 lives. These incidents were among five helicopter mishaps reported on the yatra route in just 45 days in 2025.
