DEHRADUN: Rescue teams on Monday airlifted all 29 trekkers stranded in the Auden's Col area of the Kalindi trek to Harsil, completing a high-altitude rescue operation in Uttarkashi district. Authorities are continuing efforts to reach 106 trekkers stranded on 10 other trekking routes in the district.
The trekkers were flown by helicopter to an Army hospital in Harsil for preliminary medical examinations.
“All 29 trekkers have been brought safely to Harsil. Their health has been checked and everyone is in normal condition,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shalini Negi said. “Helicopter rescue operations are continuing in the Kalindi Pass area.”
The operation was carried out jointly by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district police, the Indian Army, the local administration and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).
“Through coordination among all the agencies, we succeeded in safely evacuating the 29 trekkers stranded in the Auden's Col trek area,” SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told TNIE. “They were flown from Auden's Col trek to Harsil by helicopter.”
Officials said rapidly changing weather and the difficult terrain in the high Himalayas made the rescue operation challenging.
In a separate operation, a forest department team rescued 121 trekkers stranded by heavy snowfall on the Gaumukh-Tapovan trail in Gangotri National Park and brought them safely to Gangotri.
The trekkers had been camping in the Gaumukh and Tapovan areas when heavy snowfall began on Saturday afternoon, making the trail unsafe.
Rajveer Rawat, forest officer in charge of the Kankhu barrier, said snowfall had made the rescue difficult.
“There was also a risk of avalanches on several sections of the route,” he said. “Despite that, the team proceeded carefully and brought all 121 trekkers safely to Gangotri.”
Officials said all members of the Gaumukh-Tapovan group later left for their destinations.
In neighbouring Bageshwar district, 43 trekkers remain stranded in the Pindari Glacier area. According to the district administration, 23 trekkers are near the glacier and 20 are in Khati village. Officials said all of them are safe and healthy.
Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra resumed on Monday after the weather improved following two days of rain and snowfall in the higher reaches.
