Eight trekkers missing after avalanche and snowstorm in Uttarakhand
Five of the missing expedition members are from the Bankura district of West Bengal, according to The Hawk.
Eight members of an expedition team have gone missing in Uttarakhand after encountering an avalanche and a sudden snowstorm, a government official said on Tuesday. The incident occurred during a trek at an altitude of approximately 4,000 metres, according to The Hawk.
The missing group includes five trekkers from West Bengal’s Bankura district, identified as Tapas Bauri, Ratan Ghosh, Rintu Mandal, Uday Ghosh, and Manoj Khawas. The other three missing individuals are from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.
A 12-member team, which included four Sherpas and an assistant, had departed from Gangotri for Kedartal. While most members were caught in the storm, four members eventually reached their destination on October 30 and alerted authorities that eight people were unaccounted for.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed concern on X, stating that the state government is coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). He noted that the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and the Bankura Superintendent of Police are managing round-the-clock coordination.
The Uttarakhand SDRF has been conducting search operations for two days with the help of a helicopter from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. However, the Uttarakhand government said adverse weather in the high-altitude area has intermittently hindered rescue efforts.
Bankura District Magistrate Anish Dasgupta said the district administration has contacted the families to offer assistance. Family members reported they had lost communication with the trekkers two to three days ago and that their mobile phones are switched off.