Two Lucknow sisters die in Uttarakhand Kedartal avalanche
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vartika and Deepika Verma as the death toll from the avalanche reaches four.
The bodies of sisters Vartika Verma and Deepika Verma, residents of Lucknow, were recovered on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, following an avalanche on the Kedartal trekking route in Uttarakhand, according to The Hindu.
The two women were part of a group of eight trekkers who went missing near Kacchi Dhang after heavy snowfall and avalanches struck the route on October 29. With the recovery of the sisters, the death toll in the avalanche has reached four.
Vartika Verma, 28, was a freelance influencer, while 29-year-old Deepika Verma worked as a graphic designer at a private firm. The sisters were experienced trekkers who had previously explored trails in India and Nepal, including a trip to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib two months ago.
The family alleged that the trekking agency conducted the trek despite bad weather and failed to inform them of the accident in a timely manner. Brother Atul Verma questioned if the agency had checked weather advisories, assessed high-altitude risks, and provided adequate emergency arrangements and guide support.
The group, consisting of seven trekkers and six support staff, had left Gangotri on October 27. While five people were found safe, rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering are continuing to search for the remaining four missing trekkers, who are friends from West Bengal.