Uttarkashi Body of third trekker recovered a day after two found buried in avalanche 5 missing

    Dehradun/Uttarkashi, Nov 4 (PTI) The body of a third trekker, who was part of a group of eight that went missing six days ago on the Kedartal route, was recovered on Wednesday, officials said.

     The recovered body is of a man, they added.

     On Tuesday, bodies of two trekkers, a man and a woman, were found buried in an avalanche at the Kedarkhadak area, where the group had been camping on the Kedartal route. Their identities are yet to be disclosed by the district administration.

     As anxious families of the missing trekkers, including five from West Bengal and two from Uttar Pradesh, began arriving in the district headquarters, Uttarkashi, officials said three bodies were taken from Kedartal to Matli, about 100 km away, in a helicopter.

     From there, they were being taken to the district hospital in Uttarkashi in hearse vans 10 km away.

     A 10-member team of the SDRF and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) have been conducting the search operation at Kedarkhadak to trace the missing trekkers amid difficult terrain and challenging conditions.

     Officials said 10 to 12 feet of snow has accumulated in the area due to the avalanche, hampering the rescue operations.

     They added that the rescue team is digging snow by hand, citing difficulty in deploying the snow-removal machines to the avalanche area.

     At the Matli helipad, officials and personnel from the relevant departments have been dispatching essential supplies by helicopter to the Kedarkhadak area, ensuring that the search teams receive the necessary materials and resources.

     District Magistrate Prashant Arya said family members of two sisters hailing from Uttar Pradesh, who were part of the trekking group, have reached Uttarkashi, along with a relative of a trekker from West Bengal.

     “The family members have requested the administration to give them timely information regarding the search and rescue operation. On Wednesday, an additional team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was sent to the site where the rescue team is stationed. The team carried additional food supplies and assistance,” he said.

     The district administration is also maintaining constant oversight regarding the requirements, safety, and logistical arrangements for the teams involved in the search operation, he added.

     “Every possible effort is being made through the concerted actions of all relevant departments to ensure that the operation is carried out in an organised and effective manner,” the Uttarkashi district administration said in an official statement.

     Teams from the district administration, the Disaster Management Department, police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are working together in close cooperation and coordination, it added.

     With the search operation underway, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed concerns over the missing five young trekkers from the state.

     “Deeply concerned about the five young trekkers from Bankura: Rintu Mondal, Uday Ghosh, Ratan Ghosh, Tapas Bauri and Manoj Khawas, who have gone missing during the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand following severe weather and heavy snowfall,” he said on X on Monday.

     Adhikari further said that the West Bengal government is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and the SDRF.

     “Through our Resident Commissioner’s Office in New Delhi and State Disaster Management channels, we are actively seeking regular updates on the extensive search and rescue operations currently underway to locate and rescue our boys,” he said.

     West Bengal’s Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Ajay Mukund Ranade and Bankura district’s Superintendent of Police PVG Satish have been assigned to liaise with the Uttarkashi officials, the CM said,

     “Our administration has reached out to the distressed families in Bankura to extend all possible logistical and emotional support during this trying time. We stand firmly with the families, and no effort is being spared to ensure the safe and swift return of our Youths. We pray for their safety and well-being,” Adhikari said.

     On October 27, a group of 13 people -- comprising seven trekkers and six support staff - set out from Gangotri for the Kedartal trek.

     They were scheduled to return on October 29, but adverse weather conditions, including glaciers and snowfall, blocked the route, preventing their timely return.

     Subsequently, on October 30, the trekking agency dispatched a team of porters and guides, who managed to clear a path for approximately six km.

     The district emergency operations centre on Saturday informed that four individuals have been found safe, while eight were stranded beyond Bhojkhadak following an avalanche.

     The trek from Gangotri to Kedartal covers a distance of approximately 26 kilometres. The standard route leads from Gangotri to Kedar Kharak and then on to Kedartal. Narrow, rocky sections, rugged terrain, and high altitude pose challenges for trekkers.

     Situated at an altitude of about 4,700 m above sea level, this glacial lake is surrounded by towering mountain peaks and challenging, inaccessible terrain.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)