Eight trekkers missing in Uttarakhand avalanche and snowstorm
Search operations are underway in the Kedartal region after a 12-member expedition team was caught in severe weather.
Eight members of an expedition team went missing in Uttarakhand after being caught in a sudden snowstorm and an avalanche, according to The Assam Tribune on Tuesday. The incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 4,000 metres during a trek from Gangotri to Kedartal.
The missing group includes five trekkers from the Bankura district of West Bengal, identified as Tapas Bauri, Ratan Ghosh, Rintu Mandal, Uday Ghosh, and Manoj Khawas. Two other missing individuals are from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, while one is from Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.
Four members of the 12-person team, including a Sherpa and an assistant, reached their destination on October 30 and alerted authorities that eight others were missing. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a helicopter from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority have been conducting search operations for two days.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed concern over the five trekkers from Bankura and stated the state government is coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities. Adhikari said the state is seeking regular updates through its Resident Commissioner’s Office in New Delhi and disaster management channels.
The Uttarakhand government said adverse weather in the high-altitude area has intermittently hampered rescue efforts. No breakthrough has been reported so far as officials continue to search the mountainous region.