The key facts

  • The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences to India after a helicopter crash in Uttarakhand
  • Six people were killed, including the pilot, according to the ANI news agency
  • The helicopter was flying from Badrinath to Dehradun; the area had been under an 'orange' warning the day before, with thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 50 km/h forecast

UAE condolences and the circumstances of the crash

On Saturday, October 31, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing solidarity with India over the victims of a helicopter crash in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. This was reported by The National.

What is known about the flight and the weather

According to the Indian news agency ANI, cited by The National, six people were killed, including the pilot. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said the helicopter was operating a flight from Badrinath — a mountain pilgrimage site of significance to Hindus — to the city of Dehradun. Presumably, the aircraft (helicopter) encountered adverse weather conditions and, according to available information, lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff. The day before the incident, the area was under an 'orange' warning: the country's meteorological service forecast scattered thunderstorms, hail and winds of up to 50 km/h.