U'khand: Chopper returning from Badrinath with Delhi family lands in Tehri after fault; all 7 safe

A private helicopter carrying seven people, including the pilot, made an emergency landing in the Chamba-Arakot area due to a technical glitch, with all on board reported safe.

A private helicopter carrying pilgrims from Delhi from Badrinath was forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday in the Chamba-Arakot area here due to a technical glitch, officials said.

Dhanaulti tehsildar Mohammad Shadab said there were seven people onboard, including the pilot, all of whom are safe.

All devotees belong to a single family in Delhi's Punjabi Bagh.

According to reports, a technical issue developed in the Trans Bharat Aviation company's helicopter while it was flying over the Chamba-Arakot area around 8.30 am.

Consequently, it had to execute an emergency landing in a field in Satyo-Saklana region's Nawagaon.

The rear section of the helicopter suffered damage after coming into contact with a high-tension power line during the flight.

The helicopter was en route from Badrinath Dham to Dehradun.

The tehsildar said that immediately after the landing, police and other officials rushed to the site for a rescue operation.

He said a detailed investigation into the causes of the incident is being conducted. The helicopter's pilot is Anupama Chaudhary, a resident of Meerut.

Akhilesh Uniyal, a local Congress leader and former member of the district panchayat, expressed concern at the incident, saying the landing could have seriously hurt someone working in the field.

He demanded that the Uttarakhand government ensure that all helicopters deployed for the Char Dham pilgrimage undergo a thorough technical inspection before flying.