Bengaluru, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday said the state government had made all necessary arrangements to bring back the bodies of those killed in a helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, describing the incident as “shocking” and “deeply tragic”.
Five pilgrims from Karnataka and the helicopter pilot died in the crash on Friday. The deceased from Karnataka were identified as Arun Salunke, a Central Crime Branch inspector with Bengaluru Police; H.S. Nataraj, a businessman from Tumakuru; Prathapa Bachihally Ningaraju, a civil contractor and businessman associated with Hassan and Bengaluru; and advocates Sudheer K. and Shankar Gowda V.B., associated with Bengaluru and Tumakuru.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the government had already made arrangements to bring the bodies back to Karnataka.
Expressing grief, he said the victims had travelled to the region to offer prayers but met with the tragic accident. He prayed for peace for the departed souls and conveyed condolences to their families.
Shivakumar said he had visited the area two years ago and was familiar with the difficulties faced by people travelling in the region. He added that the concerned governments and authorities, including those in Delhi, were monitoring the situation and had been provided with the necessary information.
The Deputy Chief Minister appealed to tourists and pilgrims to exercise greater caution while undertaking such journeys. He also said he had spoken to local authorities and seers in Uttarakhand and had been informed that the Kedarnath temple would close on November 10.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh confirmed that five Karnataka residents, including a serving CCB inspector, had died along with the pilot.
Describing the incident as extremely unfortunate, Singh said three of the deceased were from Bengaluru, while the others belonged to Hassan and Tumakuru districts.
He said police officials became concerned after receiving information that the helicopter could not be traced and that there were no signals from it. Bengaluru Police remained in contact with senior officers in Dehradun, but their worst fears were confirmed when they learnt that the helicopter had crashed and all those on board had died.
Singh assured that Karnataka Police would extend every possible assistance to the families of all five victims from the state. He said officials were in regular contact with their relatives and that the entire police force stood with the bereaved families.
The Karnataka government’s Disaster Management Wing was coordinating with Uttarakhand disaster management authorities to bring back the bodies, he added.
The recovery operation was facing difficulties because the bodies were reportedly severely damaged and were lying in a deep valley. Singh said police teams had been deployed and were monitoring the situation closely.
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