Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has expressed grief over the death of five people from the state in a helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand and assured their families of government support.
The helicopter, which was travelling from Badrinath to Dehradun, crashed in Chamoli district, killing all six occupants, including the pilot, Captain Himanshu, who hailed from Delhi.
The deceased passengers from Karnataka were identified as Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) inspector Arun Salanke, Pratap B Ningaraju, Shankargowda V B, Sudheer K and H S Nataraju.
Shivakumar said the state government was in touch with officials in Uttarakhand to ensure that the mortal remains of the victims were brought back to Karnataka at the earliest.
He offered condolences to the bereaved families and said the government would stand by them during this difficult time. He also prayed for strength for the families to cope with the loss.
Priyank Kharge expresses grief
Minister Priyank Kharge also condoled the deaths, describing the loss of Kannadigas in the helicopter crash as deeply distressing.
He said the death of CCB inspector Arun Salanke had caused particular grief in the police department. Kharge also paid tribute to the other passengers and pilot who lost their lives in the accident.
He extended his condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the deceased and prayed for strength to help them overcome the tragedy.
