Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], October 30 : A helicopter carrying six people, including five passengers and a pilot, went missing while en route from Badrinath to Dehradun in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, with a search operation launched to trace the aircraft.
The helicopter, reportedly operated by a company named Charlie X-Ray, lost contact near Hathi Parvat (Hathi Pahad), close to Joshimath.
The district administration has deployed an aerial search team in another helicopter to locate the missing aircraft.
The incident comes amid adverse weather conditions in Uttarakhand, with rainfall and snowfall reported in several parts of the state.
Meanwhile, Kedarnath Dham witnessed the season's first heavy snowfall following continuous snowfall since Thursday (October 29). The surrounding hills were covered in a thick blanket of snow, while temperatures in the region dropped significantly.
Dr CS Tomar, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, said rainfall activity was expected to continue over the next few days, particularly in the hilly districts, with light to moderate showers likely at several places.
Speaking to ANI, Tomar said heavy rainfall was recorded at eight to nine places across the state on October 29, particularly in Uttarkashi, Tehri and Haridwar districts. He added that similar weather conditions were expected on Friday, with higher chances of rainfall activity in the Kumaon region.
“Tomorrow, on the 31st, chances of light to very light rain will persist, especially in the hilly districts. Similarly, on the 1st and 2nd (of November), light to very light rain may be witnessed at isolated places, particularly in our northern hilly districts,” he said.
In view of the weather forecast, district administrations have been placed on alert to ensure the safety of pilgrims and commuters.
On Thursday, District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the activation of the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) in alert mode to monitor weather conditions and oversee precautionary measures. Authorities are also monitoring road conditions and the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines through live CCTV cameras.
The administration has appealed to devotees and pilgrims to take precautions against the cold and follow advisories issued by the administration and police.