Search and rescue teams on Monday found no trace of seven trekkers and a local guide who went missing following an avalanche on the high-altitude Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on October 29, officials said on Monday.
The missing trekkers include five men from West Bengal and two women from Uttar Pradesh and a guide from Uttarkashi. “Our six members from high altitude rescue unit along with four members the from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) were heli-dropped at Kedar Kharak. Another team reached the site on foot.
Four support staff members who managed to return to Gangotri on October 30 alerted officials about the incident after losing contact with the remaining eight members. “After an avalanche, contact with eight members of the group was lost, while four support staff returned to Gangotri on October 30.
Despite intensive search at the site, we haven’t found any trace of missing trekkers and a guide, even though we recovered their tents and bags from the site,” State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) commandant said. When the trekking agency, Soul Seeker, alerted us about the incident, rescue teams were immediately mobilised,” said Shardul Gusain, Uttarkashi district disaster management officer (DDMO). Uttarkashi, a joint team from the forest department and the trekking agency set out for Kedar Kharak on foot on Sunday, according to a release from the District Emergency Operation Centre. they found no trace of the missing trekkers Although they conducted a search operation at the site on Monday.
The family members of the missing trekkers have been informed, according to the release.
