Body of third trekker missing in Uttarakhand found; toll rises to 3

The body of a trekker, who was part of the group of eight people that went missing after an avalanche on Uttarkashi district’s Kedartal route on October 29, was recovered on Wednesday, taking the toll to three, officials said.

“The search and rescue teams recovered two bodies on Tuesday and another body on Wednesday. The toll has risen to 3. The search for the remaining missing trekkers is underway,” State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said.

The recovered body is of a man, the official added.

The missing group consisted of five male trekkers from West Bengal, two female trekkers from Uttar Pradesh, and a local guide from Uttarkashi.

“The bodies were brought to Matli helipad in Uttarkashi via helicopter at 11:52am. The bodies were shifted to the mortuary of the district hospital for identification and postmortem,” said Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya.

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“Around 50kg of ration, essential butane gas, and other relief material were also delivered to the search and rescue teams involved in the operation,” he said.

“The search and rescue operation is underway on a war footing. Despite severe challenges posed by difficult terrain, glaciers, snowfall, and extreme weather, teams from SDRF, NDRF, NIM, forest, police, and revenue departments are continuously working on the ground. We are closely monitoring every activity from the Smart Control Room to ensure the effective deployment of all rescue resources,” Arya said.

Earlier, on Monday, the team recovered tents and bags from near Kedar Kharak, the second major campsite along the trail.

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The avalanche struck near Kedar Kharak on October 29 as the expedition was descending from Kedartal, a glacial lake situated at an elevation of 15,485 feet (4,720 metres).

The 12-member expedition, comprising seven trekkers and five support personnel, flagged off from Gangotri on October 27 and was slated to complete the circuit by October 29. Four support staffers who managed to reach Gangotri on October 30 after losing contact with the others alerted authorities about the incident.