Search on for eight missing trekkers in Uttarakhand’s Kedartal

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) initiated a search and rescue operation on Sunday for seven trekkers and one guide who went missing after being stranded on the Kedartal trek in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

On October 27, a group of 13 people, consisting of 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 their route and prevented their timely return.

A team from Gangotri had already reached the Kedartal area for an initial assessment. However, heavy snowfall and adverse conditions hindered their progress. As a result, the SDRF has decided to conduct aerial reconnaissance and search the region using a helicopter.

Officials said that under the directives of SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi, a specialised mountaineering team had been deployed to locate the missing individuals.

Two SDRF personnel, head constable Ravi Chauhan and constable Deepak Pant, reached Harsil by helicopter on Sunday, from where they conducted two thorough aerial reconnaissance flights over the Kedartal area. No clear signs of the missing trekkers or their tents were spotted during these flights, officials said.

Another team from the SDRF battalion headquarters has been sent out, equipped with essential rescue and mountaineering gear, to ensure that the search and rescue operation can continue as soon as conditions improve.

Officials said a future action plan was being developed in coordination with the relevant agencies as part of the ongoing search operation.

Rescue teams departed for Gangotri on Saturday to assist the group of trekkers and support staff stranded on the Kedartal trek due to inclement weather. According to officials, one of the stranded trekkers has also sustained a head injury.

India / Uttarakhand / mountains / missing person / accident (general)