Search and rescue teams on Tuesday recovered the bodies of two members from an eight-person trekking group that went missing following a massive avalanche on the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district.
The avalanche struck near Kedar Kharak on October 29 as the 12-member expedition—comprising seven high-altitude trekkers and five support staff—was descending from Kedartal, a glacial lake situated at an elevation of 15,485 feet.
While four support personnel managed to navigate back to safety, eight individuals, including five trekkers from West Bengal, two from Uttar Pradesh, and a local guide, remained unaccounted for.
Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Shardul Gusain confirmed that a joint team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) located the bodies of one male and one female near Kedar Kharak, at an altitude of approximately 4,000 metres. Equipment bags and tents were also recovered nearby.
Identification of the deceased is currently underway. Operations were paused around 3 p.m. due to inclement weather and daylight constraints, with rescue teams returning to their base camp after setting up an alternative helipad to streamline ongoing search efforts for the remaining six individuals.
