Five from Bengal among 8 trekkers missing after Uttarakhand avalanche, search ops underway

Kolkata, Nov 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Eight members of an expedition team, including five from West Bengal’s Bankura district, have gone missing after being caught in an avalanche and a sudden snowstorm while trekking in Uttarakhand, a government official said on Tuesday.

The missing trekkers from Bankura have been identified as Tapas Bauri, Ratan Ghosh, Rintu Mandal, Uday Ghosh and Manoj Khawas. The first four are residents of Salbani village, while Manoj belongs to Keshra village in the same district.

Of the other three missing members, two are from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

The five trekkers from Bankura had left for Uttarakhand on October 24 and were scheduled to return home in early November.

Following the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed concern over the safety of the missing trekkers and said the state government was coordinating with the Uttarakhand authorities.

"Deeply concerned about the five young trekkers from Bankura: Rintu Mondal, Uday Ghosh, Ratan Ghosh, Tapas Bauri and Manoj Khawas, who have gone missing during the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand following severe weather and heavy snowfall," Adhikari wrote in a post on X.

He said his government was in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and its State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to monitor the situation.

"Through our Resident Commissioner’s Office in New Delhi and State Disaster Management channels, we are actively seeking regular updates on the extensive search and rescue operations currently underway to locate and rescue our boys," he said.

The Chief Minister said the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and the Superintendent of Police of Bankura district had been assigned the responsibility of maintaining round-the-clock coordination with the Uttarakhand SDRF, local district authorities and administrative officials at the site.

He added that the state administration had contacted the distressed families in Bankura and was extending all possible logistical and emotional support.

"We stand firmly with the families, and no effort is being spared to ensure the safe and swift return of our youths. We pray for their safety and well-being," Adhikari added.

According to information available, a 12-member expedition team, comprising four Sherpas and an assistant, had set out from Gangotri for Kedartal. The team began its trek from the base camp on the scheduled day. However, while negotiating the mountainous terrain at an altitude of around 4,000 metres, most of its members were caught in a sudden snowstorm and went missing.

Four members of the expedition, including a Sherpa and the assistant, eventually managed to reach their destination on October 30. They subsequently informed the authorities that the remaining eight members of the team were missing.

Following the report, the Uttarakhand government launched a search and rescue operation. A team of the Uttarakhand SDRF, assisted by a helicopter operated by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, has been searching the mountainous region for the missing trekkers over the past two days. However, there has been no breakthrough so far.

The Uttarakhand government said adverse weather conditions in the high-altitude region were intermittently hampering the rescue operation. The local administration has also contacted the families of the missing trekkers and assured them of all possible assistance.

Bankura District Magistrate Anish Dasgupta said on Tuesday that the district administration had contacted the families after receiving information about the incident and assured them of all possible help.

Family members said they had been in regular contact with the trekkers after their arrival in the mountains. However, there had been no communication with them for the past two to three days. The mobile phones of the missing trekkers were also switched off, adding to the anxiety of their families.

Source: IANS