DEHRADUN: Rescuers have recovered the bodies of two of the eight people missing after an avalanche and heavy snowfall struck the Kedartal trekking route in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Both victims were from West Bengal. Search teams are continuing their efforts to locate the six others.
The avalanche struck near Bhoj Khadak and Kachcha Dhang on October 29, as the trekking party was returning from Kedartal.
A 12-member trekking team left Gangotri on October 27 after obtaining permission from the Forest Department. Four members returned safely, while three porters and a cook, Rohan Rana, reached Gangotri on October 30 and reported that eight members were missing. Rescue operations involving the SDRF, NDRF, police, Forest Department and NIM began on October 31. However, ground and aerial searches have been hampered by snowfall and poor visibility.
“Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Uttarakhand Police, Forest Department and NIM are involved in the operation. Bad weather and continuous snowfall are making the search difficult,” SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said.
Mohan Rana, father of Siddharth, has urged the administration to involve the Army and the Air Force, including the deployment of advanced helicopters, arguing that the steep terrain and adverse weather conditions are hampering the search. He said the trekking party had carried food and water supplies for two to three days and believed that the group had been caught in the avalanche.
West Bengal Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari has expressed concern and sought a report from the Uttarakhand administration on the rescue operation. Khawas was from Keshra, while the others were from Shalbani.
Ratan Ghosh's father, Bholanath, said he had opposed his son's decision to go trekking. “We argued. When I tried to stop him, he threatened to lie on a railway track and kill himself,” he said. Ratan had taken Rs 5,000 from his father before leaving.
Tapas Bauri's father, Lalmohan, said his son had warned the family over the phone that he was heading to a remote area and might remain unreachable for several days. His phone was later found to be switched off. His sister, Kavita, said she had last spoken to him on Monday, before he left his lodge. When the family contacted the lodge, they were told that the group had not returned.
Rintu Mandal's uncle, Kartik, said his nephew had trekked in the mountains three or four times. “Since he went missing, the family has not been able to sleep,” he said.
On Monday, Mohan and other villagers met District Magistrate Prashant Kumar Arya at the Uttarkashi collectorate and urged officials to intensify the search operation.
Shubhendu Adhikari also expressed concern over the disappearance of five young men from Bankura in a post on social media platform X. He urged the Uttarakhand government and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to make every effort to locate them safely and sought a report on the incident.
Continuous snowfall and poor visibility continue to hamper the rescue operation.
Those still missing include Uttarkashi-based guide Siddharth Rana (25), Vartika Verma (28) from Uttar Pradesh, another trekker, and five men from Bankura in West Bengal — Tapas Bauri (30), Ratan Ghosh (23), Manoj Khawas (39), Rintu Mandal (40) and Uday Ghosh (30).
