Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has reported a helicopter crash near Chai village, close to Joshimath in Chamoli district, on Friday, October 30, 2026. He says the district administration, disaster management department and State Disaster Response Force are conducting a joint rescue operation.
Official response and timeline
Dhami’s original public statement was posted at 14:49 Indian Standard Time (09:19 UTC). That is the statement’s publication time; it does not establish the exact time of the crash.
He said he was monitoring the response and had directed that anyone seriously injured be airlifted to a higher-level medical centre. Those instructions do not confirm how many people were injured or establish the condition of those on board.
Read the chief minister’s original October 30 statement in Hindi.
What remains unconfirmed
The chief minister’s post gives no casualty total, passenger manifest, operator, aircraft type or registration. It does not identify a cause. Flyzeu has not verified a current Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau announcement or finding for this event; rescue information should not be treated as an investigation conclusion.
Documented regional safety context
In a separate September 18, 2025 release, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation described DGCA inspections before Char Dham helicopter services resumed after the monsoon break. Following accidents in May–June 2025, the measures included air traffic controllers, meteorological officers and qualified UCADA control-room personnel.
That earlier regional safety programme does not establish the cause of the October 30 crash or whether any procedure was followed on this flight.
Sources: the chief minister’s original statement; Ministry of Civil Aviation, September 18, 2025; AAIB’s published investigation index.
