BENGALURU: The bodies of two mountaineering trainees from Bengaluru, who died in an avalanche at Mount Draupadi Ka Danda-II in Uttarakhand last Tuesday, were brought to the city on Monday.
Rakshit K (26) and Vikram M (33), both residents of Bengaluru, were part of the 34 trainees who took up the Advance Mountaineering Course at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. At 4 am on October 4, the trainees and instructors moved for High Altitude Navigation to Mount Draupadi Ka Danda-II (17,000 feet).
While returning from the mountain peak, the trainees and instructors met with an avalanche which occurred above camp-1. Thirty-four trainees and seven instructors were caught under avalanche at 8.45 am. As per the NIM bulletin, 27 bodies were recovered, out of which 21 bodies were identified.
Officials of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre stated that two among the dead were identified as Rakshit and Vikram, residents of Bengaluru Urban district. “Their parents and relatives reached Uttarkashi to receive the mortal remains. Following autopsy on Sunday, arrangements were made to airlift the bodies from Dehradun to Bengaluru by flight,” an official said. While Rakshit’s body was brought to the city at 4.40 pm, Vikram’s body reached at 9.15 pm.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister R Ashoka earlier said that all expenses of airlifting the bodies will be borne by the State Government and the department had extended all support to the family of the duo.