Uttarakhand helicopter crash victims airlifted to Karnataka

The bodies of six victims from a helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand have been recovered and transported to their respective homes. The crash occurred on a hillside near Chai village while the helicopter was returning to Dehradun from the Badrinath shrine.

Rescue teams, including the Indian Army, ITBP, SDRF, and NDRF, conducted a difficult mission in high-altitude terrain, trekking 12 km on foot to reach the crash site. The victims include Captain Himanshu, the pilot, and five passengers: Bengaluru Police Inspector Arun Salunke, businessman Prathapa, advocates Shankar Gowda and K Sudheer, and poultry businessman H S Nataraj.

The mortal remains arrived at Kempegowda International Airport in Karnataka on Sunday. Following post-mortem examinations at AIIMS Rishikesh, the bodies were transported to native villages in Hassan, Belagavi, Davanagere, and Tumakuru for last rites.