After five days of search to find eight trekkers missing on the Kedartal route in Uttarakhand, rescuers on Tuesday recovered bodies of two persons buried in avalanche, officials said.
Personnel from the Uttarakhand Police’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) are involved in the search amid difficult terrain and challenging conditions.
A report issued by Uttarkashi district emergency operation centre at 4.30 pm said, “In the search operation, the said team informed that during the search operation, bodies of a woman and a man buried in the avalanche were recovered, which were taken out by the joint team after a lot of hard work.”
The team returned to the base camp at 3 pm after completing the search operation for Tuesday.
Officials said the search operation will continue on Wednesday and the team has constructed an alternative helipad.
SDRF officials said another team of six to seven members will be dispatched from Dehradun to Kedarkhadak area, where the existing team is stationed to conduct the search operation.
“The teams are searching for the missing trekkers but they are facing extreme weather conditions like snow blizzard which is making it very difficult to carry out the search and rescue operation. We are planning to send reinforcement of five to six more SDRF personnel to help the team by Wednesday,” SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said.
He said the rescue team is not able to trek to Kedarkhadak due to an avalanche and they are being heli-dropped there.
“This is an extremely difficult operation being conducted in 4000 metres in very hazardous condition,” he added.
The Uttarkashi disaster management office said it received an update from the rescue team at 7.30 am that the operation resumed as weather conditions slightly improved.
The SDRF said on Monday evening that a tent and other items had been found at an altitude of around 4,000 metres.
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.
On October 31, at 6:00 AM, a 10-member NDRF team departed from Uttarkashi for Gangotri to carry out rescue operations. Additionally, teams consisting of two forest department personnel, seven members from the trekking agency, and six SDRF personnel were also deployed toward Kedartal.
On Nov 1, SDRF team from Gangotri had already reached the Kedartal area for reconnaissance, but due to heavy snowfall and adverse conditions, the progress of the search operation was hindered.
The Gangotri National Park and the Uttarkashi Forest Division have stopped issuing permits for treks at altitudes of 4,000 m or above until weather conditions improve.
“We are currently not issuing permits for treks above 4,000 metres as weather conditions are not favourable. Permits will be issued once the weather improves. The restriction will remain in force until further orders,” Divisional Forest Officer Jeevan Mohan Dagade said.
The Lamkhaga Pass and Trikhanta treks are among the routes located above 4,000 m.
“A significant amount of snow has accumulated on the Gaumukh-Tapovan trek following snowfall on October 29 and, for safety reasons, movement along this route has been prohibited. Furthermore, no new permits are being issued for destinations such as Kedartal, Kalindi Khal and Udankol,” Mayank Kumar, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, said.