The bodies of two more trekkers from the eight people missing after a massive avalanche on Uttarkashi district’s Kedartal trek route on October 29 were recovered on Wednesday, taking the toll to four, officials said.
The search for the remaining missing trekkers is underway. The missing group consisted of five male trekkers from West Bengal, two female trekkers from Uttar Pradesh, and a local guide from Uttarkashi. “The search and rescue operation is underway on a war footing. Despite severe challenges posed by difficult terrain, glaciers, snowfall, and extreme weather, teams from SDRF, NDRF, NIM, forest, police, and revenue departments are continuously working on the ground.
The toll has risen to 4. The 12-member expedition—comprising seven trekkers and five support personnel—flagged off from Gangotri on October 27 and was slated to complete the circuit by October 29. Four support staffers who managed to reach Gangotri on October 30 after losing contact with the others alerted authorities about the incident.
“Around 50kg of rations, essential butane gas, and other relief material were also delivered to the search and rescue teams involved in the operation,” he said. We are closely monitoring every activity from the Smart Control Room to ensure the effective deployment of all rescue resources,” Arya said. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said, “The search and rescue teams recovered two bodies on Tuesday and another two on Wednesday.
