A multi-agency Kedartal rescue operation was launched on Saturday after heavy snowfall and an avalanche stranded a 13-member trekking group on the route in Uttarkashi district, with rescuers facing blocked tracks, deep snow and avalanche debris.
The group comprises seven trekkers and six support staff. They left Gangotri on October 27 and were scheduled to return on October 29, but snowfall and the avalanche prevented them from completing the journey.
According to the Uttarkashi district administration, four members—three porters and a cook—were located safely near Kacchi Dhang. The remaining eight people were reported to be stranded beyond Bhoj Kharak, a section of the route affected by snow accumulation and debris.
The trekking agency established telephone contact with some members on October 30. The group members said they were safe near Kacchi Dhang and requested assistance, according to the report. The contact provided authorities with an update on the trekkers’ condition and location while access to the route remained difficult.
Following directions from Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya, a 10-member National Disaster Response Force team left for Gangotri early on Saturday. A separate team consisting of six State Disaster Response Force personnel, two forest department officials and seven members of the trekking agency was also deployed.
The trekking agency had earlier sent guides and porters to clear almost six kilometres of snow-covered track. However, that team was unable to reach the stranded group. Rescue efforts were further hampered by continued heavy snow and avalanche debris along the route.
The district administration also sought helicopter assistance to evacuate the trekkers. The report did not specify whether an aerial evacuation had begun or whether weather conditions had allowed a helicopter to reach the area.
The incident has occurred amid difficult weather and terrain conditions in Uttarakhand. A day earlier, six people, including five pilgrims and a pilot, were killed in a helicopter crash near Joshimath in Chamoli district. Bad weather and challenging terrain had also hampered efforts to retrieve the bodies in that incident.
The immediate rescue priority on the Kedartal route is to establish access to the eight people reported stranded beyond Bhoj Kharak and evacuate them if conditions permit. NDRF, SDRF, forest officials, the district administration and the trekking agency are coordinating the operation from the Gangotri side.
