Uttarakhand trekking tragedy: Death toll rises to 4 as 2 more bodies recovered

The death toll in the Kedartal trekking tragedy in Uttarakhand rose to four on Wednesday after rescue teams recovered two more bodies buried under snow, six days after eight members of a trekking group went missing.

Both bodies recovered on Wednesday were of men, officials said. The bodies of two other trekkers had been recovered from the Kedarkhadak area on Tuesday, where the group had been camping when an avalanche struck.

The two bodies recovered on Tuesday were identified by their families at the Uttarkashi District Hospital as sisters Vartika Verma, 28, and Deepika Verma, 29, daughters of Narayan Verma and residents of Gayatri Puram in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Identification of the two bodies recovered on Wednesday was underway, officials said.

The bodies were flown by helicopter from Kedartal to Matli, around 100 km away, at approximately 11.52 am. They were subsequently transported to the district hospital in Uttarkashi, around 10 km from the helipad.

A 10-member team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) has been conducting search operations in the Kedarkhadak area to locate the remaining missing trekkers.

Deep snow hampers rescue operations

Officials said 10-12 feet of snow had accumulated in the area following the avalanche, making rescue operations difficult.

The teams have been digging through the snow manually as the difficult terrain has prevented the deployment of snow-removal machinery.

Additional SDRF personnel were sent to the site on Wednesday with food supplies and other essential materials. Helicopters were also being used to transport resources to the rescue teams stationed in the area.

Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya said family members of the two sisters from Uttar Pradesh had reached the district, along with a relative of one of the missing trekkers from West Bengal.

He said the families had requested regular updates on the search and rescue operation. The district administration was coordinating with the SDRF and other agencies to ensure that the operation continued in an organised manner.

Personnel from the district administration, Disaster Management Department, police, SDRF, Food and Civil Supplies Department and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are involved in the operation.

West Bengal government seeks updates on missing trekkers

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari had expressed concern over the five missing trekkers from Bankura district — Rintu Mondal, Uday Ghosh, Ratan Ghosh, Tapas Bauri and Manoj Khawas.

Adhikari said the West Bengal government was in contact with the Uttarakhand government and the SDRF to obtain updates on the search operation.

The state's resident commissioner's office in New Delhi and disaster management authorities were also coordinating with officials in Uttarkashi, he said.

West Bengal additional director general of police (Law and Order) Ajay Mukund Ranade and Bankura superintendent of police PVG Satish had been assigned to liaise with Uttarakhand officials.

The state administration had also contacted the families of the missing trekkers to provide logistical and emotional support, Adhikari said.

How the trekking group went missing

A group of 13 people, comprising seven trekkers and six support staff, set out from Gangotri for the Kedartal trek on 27 October. They were scheduled to return on 29 October, but snowfall, adverse weather and glacier-related obstructions blocked their route.

On 30 October, the trekking agency dispatched a team of porters and guides, who managed to clear a path for approximately 6 km.

The district emergency operations centre subsequently reported that four people had been found safe, while eight remained stranded beyond Bhojkhad following an avalanche.

The trek from Gangotri to Kedartal covers approximately 26 km, passing through Kedar Kharak. The route involves narrow rocky stretches, rugged terrain and high-altitude conditions.

Kedartal, a glacial lake situated at an altitude of approximately 4,700 metres, is surrounded by high mountain peaks and difficult-to-access terrain.