Eight people missing after avalanches hit Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand
Rescue teams will attempt a helicopter-based search on Monday after aerial reconnaissance failed to locate the missing group.
Eight members of a trekking group remain missing after being trapped by heavy rainfall and avalanches in the Kedartal area of Uttarakhand, according to The Indian Express. The group, which included seven trekkers, one guide, one cook, and three porters, set out from Gangotri on October 27.
Four members of the group, consisting of three porters and one cook, were rescued on October 31. They were found near Kachchi Dhang after rescue personnel cleared snow to create a route and were brought to Gangotri by a search and rescue team.
The missing individuals include five people from West Bengal, two women from Uttar Pradesh, and a 25-year-old guide from Uttarkashi. Mayank Garg, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, said the department granted the group permission for a three-day trek on October 26.
Garg stated that a weather alert for October 29 was received on October 27, but the group could not be contacted. Arpan Yaduvanshi, Commandant of the Uttarakhand SDRF, said that two aerial reconnaissance missions have found no tents, belongings, or distress calls.
Yaduvanshi noted that a foot team was stopped by avalanches. On Monday, November 2, the SDRF will attempt to access the area by helicopter. The operation will involve a five-person high-altitude rescue unit and a four-person team from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi.