India

Eight Missing After Kedartal Trek Trapped by Avalanches

By Vidheesha Kuntamalla

A group of 12 trekkers set out for the Kedartal trek in Uttarkhand on October 27. Authorities received a weather alert for an adverse event on October 29, but the group had already departed and could not be contacted. By October 30, the trekkers were reported to be trapped by heavy rainfall and avalanches. Eight members remain missing after repeated aerial searches and a foot approach. Deputy Director Mayank Garg of Gangotri National Park said the department had granted the group permission for a three‑day trek on October 26, and the team entered the route early the next day. The weather alert was received around 10.30‑11 am on October 27, by which time the trekkers were already on the trail. Garg added that the group was expected to return by October 29. The missing trekkers include five from West Bengal—Tapas Bauri (30), Ratan Ghosh, Manoj Khovas (39), Ritu Mandal (40), and Uday Ghosh (30); two women from Uttar Pradesh—Vartika Verma (28) and Deepika Verma; and a 25‑year‑old guide from Uttarkashi, Siddharth Rana. Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) reported that two aerial reconnaissance missions found no evidence of the trekkers, and no distress calls were detected. The SDRF plans a third attempt on Monday, November 2, using helicopter‑slithering techniques to lower personnel and prepare a helipad for a manual search of the high‑altitude terrain. The search party will include a five‑member high‑altitude rescue team and a four‑member team from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi. An Action Taken Report from the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre noted that the trekking party comprised seven trekkers, one guide, one cook, and three porters. On Friday, the Uttarkashi District Emergency Operations Centre received information that the team had been trapped by adverse weather, including excessive snowfall and avalanches, in the Kedartal area. Four members—three porters and one cook—were rescued on October 31 after snow was cleared and a route was created. They were located near Kachchi Dhang, below the avalanche‑hit area, and brought safely to Gangotri by a special Search and Rescue team. The avalanche‑affected area near Sukhi Dhang was about 11‑12 km on foot from the entry point, or 5.5‑6 km aerially. The report recorded that teams from the SDRF, National Disaster Response Force, forest department, police, district administration, and a search and rescue team were dispatched on Saturday morning. A helicopter conducted aerial reconnaissance but did not spot the missing trekkers or their belongings. The Kedartal route sees fewer trekkers than the Gomukh route, which accounts for about 95% of visitors. Uttarakhand has experienced several similar incidents in recent years, including avalanches in 2021, 2022, and June 2024 that resulted in fatalities and missing persons.