PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Uttarkashi A joint SDRF and NIM team recovered two unidentified bodies—a man and a woman—from the Kedartal avalanche site on Tuesday. Working in tough conditions at an altitude of roughly 4,000 meters, rescuers faced a grueling effort to extricate the bodies from the snow. A search operation will be launched again on Wednesday to find the seven trekkers and a guide still missing.Notably, as per a District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) report, the operator of a trekking agency informed the administration that a group trekking from Gangotri to Kedartal had been hit by heavy snowfall and an avalanche while returning. As a result, a total of eight members, including seven trekkers and a guide, had gone missing at an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters. On Monday, five helicopter flights were carried out to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the affected area, but no trace of the missing people could be found. Teams of NIM, SDRF, Forest department and the trekking agency conducted rescue operations in the inaccessible Himalayan region. Tents and bags were found during the operation in the Kachi Dhang area before it had to be suspended for the day due to bad weather. A total of 13 people, including seven trekkers and six support staff, had left Gangotri for the Kedartal trek on October 27 while their return was scheduled for October 29. But bad weather, glacier collapse and heavy snowfall had blocked the route.Gangotri National Park administration had earlier informed that four people, including three porters and a cook, were found safe near Kachi Dhang while the remaining eight people remained trapped by the avalanche beyond Bhojkharak. At around 7:30 AM on Tuesday, a joint team of SDRF and NIM launched a search operation at the possible location of the missing people, based on the inputs received via satellite phone. During the search, the team found the bodies of a woman and a man buried in an avalanche. After the operation concluded at around 3 PM, the team returned to base camp.To make the rescue operation more effective, an alternate helipad has been constructed at the site. An Emergency Operations Centre report informed that the helipad is located at an altitude of approximately 4005 meters above sea level. This might increase the possibility of helicopter support in the future rescue operation, the centre officials said, adding that the detailed information regarding the identity of the recovered bodies is expected to be available on Wednesday.
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