In brief
An avalanche on Oct. 29 swept away a party of seven trekkers and a guide from Uttarakhand’s Kedartal area, leaving them missing for six days. Rescuers from the State Disaster Response Force and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering escorted a ten‑person team to the valley on Monday, but rough weather forced a pause in the search. The group’s last known contacts were with their trekking agency on Oct. 29, and officials have named the missing as five West Bengal residents plus two others. The operation is set to resume in light of changing weather patterns, though the trekkers’ whereabouts remain uncertain.
Eight people, including seven trekkers and a guide, have been missing for six days after an avalanche struck Uttarakhand’s Kedartal area on Oct. 29, a local official confirmed yesterday. The party left for a three‑day trek on Oct. 27, with the last contact inquiring for help made on the day of the avalanche.
The Valley had already seen rescue action: three porters and a cook were found and brought to safety three days earlier, according to the official. The group that vanished was identified by the Times of India as Tapas Bauri, Ratan Ghosh, Manoj Khovas, Rintu Mandal, Uday Ghosh, all from West Bengal, along with Deepika Verma and Vartika, who is reported to be the guide.
On Monday, a ten‑person Mountain Rescue Team – six from the State Disaster Response Force and four from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering – was air‑lifted into the Kedartal valley to search for the missing party. The team began operations in the early morning, but by evening rough weather led to a call off of the search and rescue effort.
The head of the rescue effort indicated that the operation is scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Current conditions in the valley include heavy snowfall and low temperatures that have hampered visibility and radio communication, complicating the search.
While the region has cleared three porters and a cook, the remaining seven trekkers and their guide remain unlocated. Dubbed a “rough weather” delay, the rescue team’s pause has sparked concern among families and local media.
Local media outlets, including India Today, have echoed the information released by the state official, noting the heavy snowfall that has left the area inaccessible for the duration of the ongoing search. There is no current indication of any survivors being found so far.
Thus far, the only known information is that the trekkers were part of a planned three‑day ascent starting Oct. 27, that an avalanche struck on Oct. 29, and that a rescue operation has been delayed due to severe weather. The authorities have not yet confirmed whether the missing trekkers are believed to be trapped by snow or have relocated elsewhere.
Rescue teams plan to resume operations with improved weather conditions, but the status of the missing party remains a point of uncertainty. The locals and the trekking agency have not released any further details about potential casualties or additional rescues beyond those already recovered.
