“Often Travelled Together”: Friends Remember Five Karnataka Victims of Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash

The Uttarakhand helicopter crash in Chamoli district on Friday claimed the lives of six people, including five friends from Karnataka who had travelled to the state for the Char Dham pilgrimage. The deaths have left their families and friends grieving, with those who knew them remembering the close bond they shared and their frequent travels together.

Among the five passengers from Karnataka was Inspector Arun Salunke, who was posted with the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru. The other victims were Prathapa Bachihally Ningaraju, a businessman from Hassan with links to the Congress; Sudheer K and Shankargowda VB, both advocates from Bengaluru; and H S Nataraj, who was from Tumakuru.

The five men were part of a group of friends who had travelled together to Uttarakhand for the Char Dham pilgrimage. Their friends recalled that they often travelled together, highlighting the strong friendship and companionship shared by the group. Their journey to the pilgrimage site turned tragic when the helicopter carrying them met with an accident during the return journey.

The sixth person killed in the crash was the helicopter's pilot, Capt. Himanshu, who was from Delhi. The helicopter was a civil aircraft operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and was carrying the five Karnataka passengers along with the pilot.

According to a press release issued by the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, the helicopter crashed at around 2 pm in the hilly terrain of the Hathi Parvat area. It was flying from Badrinath to Dehradun when the accident occurred in Chamoli district.

The incident has brought together the stories of five friends whose pilgrimage ended in tragedy. Their identities and backgrounds have highlighted the loss suffered by families, colleagues and friends across Karnataka. Inspector Arun Salunke's death has also affected those associated with the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch.

As details of the accident emerged, friends remembered the five men for the time they spent together and their shared interest in travelling. The crash claimed all six lives on board, including the pilot, turning what had been a pilgrimage journey into a devastating tragedy.