Engineer Killed by Chopper Blades in Badrinath; Pilot, 5 Passengers Safe

A helicopter engineer died on Saturday when he got caught in the blades of the chopper in Uttarakhand’s Badrinath on Saturday. The pilot, co-pilot and five passengers were reported to be safe.

The accident reportedly occurred at 7:45am when the Haridwar-bound chopper took off but failed to gain altitude due to low pressure.

IANS reported that the helicopter took off normally but soon lost balance. Chopper engineer Vikram Lamba, a resident of Assam, fearing for his life, reportedly jumped out mid-air and was sliced by the rotor of the helicopter.

The chopper, an eight-seater AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, belonged to Mumbai-based Krestal Aviation, Tripti Bhatt, SP of Chamoli district told CNN-News18. The pilgrims, who belonged to Vadodra in Gujarat, resumed their journey by road, she added.