Forty trekkers rescued in Uttarkashi as bad weather hampers wider operation
Forty trekkers and expedition members stranded at high-altitude sites in Uttarkashi were rescued on Monday, officials said, while many others remained stranded across Uttarakhand. Rain, landslides and blocked roads have disrupted operations, with eight helicopters deployed and further evacuations planned as weather permits.
Forty trekkers and expedition members stranded at high-altitude sites in Uttarkashi were safely evacuated on Monday, officials said, as bad weather continued to hamper a wider rescue operation in Uttarakhand. The people rescued had been stranded at Kalindi Pass Base and Auden’s Col Base. Officials said about 179 trekkers and expedition members were stranded at high-altitude routes and expedition sites in Uttarkashi and Bageshwar before a bad-weather alert reached them.
The groups were spread across several peaks, including Mt. Sudarshan, Mt. Bhagirathi-II, Mt.
Jogin-I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Satopanth and Shrikhanth Peak.
Six foreign nationals were among those reported stranded. Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said another 40 people in Bageshwar were safe and did not require evacuation. He said 20 trekkers were expected to reach designated points and walk back to base by Tuesday, while 40 wanted to continue their expeditions.
The remaining trekkers are to be evacuated when conditions allow. The operation was scheduled to resume at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Eight helicopters have been deployed, and a helicopter ambulance has been kept ready. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the operation at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun and directed officials to prioritise the safety of trekkers and coordinate among rescue agencies. Continuous rain since Saturday night has disrupted road links and triggered landslides.
More than 112 roads were blocked on Monday, while falling boulders on the Kedarnath route halted the pilgrimage.
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