Badrinath-Dehradun chopper goes missing near Joshimath; six on board, Trans Bharat fleet grounded

A helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. has reportedly gone missing while flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara heliport in Dehradun. The aircraft, bearing call sign VT-HCX, took off at approximately 1:14 pm and lost communication while passing over the Joshimath valley. Six people, including the pilot, were on board. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has mobilised the Army, Chamoli district administration and SDRF for search and rescue operations. The operator's entire helicopter fleet has been grounded as a precautionary measure.