Dehradun: A search operation for eight people, including seven trekkers, missing on the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand resumed on Tuesday morning after being suspended a day earlier because of bad weather.
The operation restarted after weather conditions improved, according to the Uttarkashi district disaster management office. Rescue personnel are searching difficult terrain in challenging conditions.
The disaster management office received an update from the rescue team confirming that the operation had resumed early in the morning. Personnel from the Uttarakhand Police's State Disaster Response Force and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering are conducting the search. The SDRF previously noted that a tent and other items had been discovered at an altitude of about 4,000 metres.
In response to the conditions, the Uttarkashi Forest Division has stopped issuing permits for treks at altitudes of 4,000 metres or above until the weather improves. Officials stated that permits will not be issued for high-altitude routes like the Lamkhaga Pass and Trikhanta treks until further notice.
A group of 13 people, comprising seven trekkers and six support staff, left Gangotri for the Kedartal trek on October 27 and were scheduled to return on October 29. However, bad weather, snowfall, and glaciers blocking the route prevented their return.
On October 30, the trekking agency dispatched a team of porters and guides to clear paths. The District Emergency Operations Centre subsequently reported that four people had been found safe, while eight remained stranded beyond Bhojkhadak following an avalanche.
Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Forest Department personnel, and local trekking guides, have been deployed to the region. Although initial efforts were heavily hampered by severe snowfall and adverse weather, teams are now actively continuing the search following the weather clearance.