Uttarkashi, Nov 2 (PTI) A rescue operation to search for eight individuals, including seven trekkers, who went missing on the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, has been stopped due to inclement weather, officials said on Monday evening.
According to the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC), a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted a search operation at the missing location, and currently, the trekkers remain unaccounted for.
"Rescue operations have been suspended due to inclement weather. The team is currently based at the Kaidarkhadag (Kachhi Dhang) base camp," read an action taken report released on Monday evening.
The group, comprising 13 individuals, seven trekkers and six support staff, embarked on the trek on October 27. One cook returned midway, while the remaining members were scheduled to return on October 29. However, they could not return to Gangotri as heavy snowfall and adverse weather blocked the route.
The trekkers' whereabouts became unknown after an avalanche near Bhojkhadak.
Officials confirmed that the families of the missing trekkers have been contacted and informed about the situation.
A 10-member Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) comprising personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) was airlifted to the site to search for the eight individuals.
The MRT was divided into five teams that conducted aerial reconnaissance and returned on Monday morning.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), the MRT, which includes six members from the SDRF and four from NIM, was dropped at the location by helicopter on Monday morning to conduct a ground search for the missing trekkers and their guide.
Over the weekend, a helicopter from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), carrying an SDRF team, conducted three intensive aerial reconnaissance sorties over the area. However, no trace of the trekkers or their guide, nor any of their belongings, was found.
A specialised team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), accompanied by four members from the 'Soul Seeker' trekking agency, attempted to reach the site on foot to search for the missing trekkers. However, their progress was hampered by adverse weather conditions and snowfall along the route.
According to the SEOC, the deputy director of Gangotri National Park, along with police, army personnel, a medical team, and revenue department officials, were stationed at the Harsil helipad.
Officials said that on October 30, the trekkers contacted the trekking agency by phone, reporting that they were stranded near 'Kachhi Dhang' and requesting assistance to get out.
Following this, the trekking agency dispatched a team of porters and guides on October 30, who managed to clear a path for about six kilometres. Subsequently, on the morning of October 31, the district administration deployed teams from the Forest Department, the NDRF, and other agencies to the site.
Four individuals, three porters and one cook, were found safe in the vicinity of Kachhi Dhang. However, the rescue team was unable to reach Bhojkhadak to search for the remaining eight individuals due to blocked routes caused by avalanches and snowfall.
Among the missing trekkers, five are from West Bengal, and two are from Uttar Pradesh. They have been identified as Tapas Bauri (30), Ratan Ghosh (23), Manoj Khovas (39), Rintu Mandal (40), Uday Ghosh (30), Vartika Verma (28), and Deepika Verma (29). The missing guide is 25-year-old Siddharth Rana, a resident of Utaron village in Uttarkashi.
