Nine trekkers from Bengaluru lost their lives in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, after their 22-member group encountered severe weather during a trek to Sahastra Tal on Tuesday afternoon. Officials confirmed the fatalities on Thursday after recovering four more bodies.
The deceased trekkers have been identified as Asha Sudhakar (71), Anitha Rangappa (55), Venkatesh Prasad K (53), Vinayak Mungurwadi (52), Sujata Mungurwadi (52), Padmanabha K P (50), Chitra Praneeth (48), Sindhu Wakelam (44), and Padmini Hegde (34), all from Bengaluru.
Initially, five bodies were recovered, and the bodies of Padmanabha, Prasad, Rangappa, and Hegde were found early Thursday morning. The remaining members of the team have been rescued.
The trekkers were part of a 19-member group from The Karnataka Mountaineering Association. “This was our seventh expedition this month. I had just returned from an expedition in Nepal when the incident occurred. I am currently in Joshimath. All the deceased were experienced trekkers,” said Srivatsa S, secretary of the association, adding that the bodies were transported to Joshimath on Thursday morning.
A Karnataka disaster management department official reported that 19 trekkers from Karnataka and three local guides were trekking at Sahastra Tal when a blizzard struck around 2 pm on Tuesday.
“On the morning of June 3, a group of 20 trekkers and guides left the Lambtal campsite for Sahastra Tal. They were returning to camp when, about 1.5 to 2 hours away, it started snowing at 2 pm. By 4 pm, the snow intensified into a blizzard. By 6 pm, two trekkers had succumbed to the harsh weather,” Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is in Uttarakhand, said on Wednesday.
“Snow and wind made movement impossible, reducing visibility to zero. They huddled together for the night on the route. Some more trekkers succumbed during the night. On the morning of June 4, a guide set off to find mobile connectivity. Meanwhile, some trekkers capable of moving began heading towards the camp around 11 am. Guides returned to the camp and brought back supplies for those stranded,” he added.
“On the evening of June 4, a guide reached a spot with a phone signal and reported the situation. The Karnataka Mountaineering Association and Indian Mountaineering Foundation alerted relevant agencies. The governments of Karnataka and Uttarakhand began preparations on the night of June 4. By 5 am on June 5, the Army, Air Force, SDRF, and various government agencies were ready to commence rescue operations,” he said.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) posted on X on Wednesday, “Racing against time, #IAF helicopters have successfully evacuated three survivors and the mortal remains of five trekkers from the 15 who were trapped in severe weather while trekking to Sahastra Tal, Uttarkashi. The rescue was conducted using lightweight Cheetah helicopters due to the high altitude and challenging terrain, moving from higher ground to the base camp and then to the nearest medical center with medium-lift Mi17 V5 helicopters.”
The Karnataka Mountaineering Association, active since 1966, has organized numerous expeditions both within India and internationally.
