Kedartal toll rises to 4 as more bodies recovered; family blames trekking agency

The bodies of two more trekkers missing on the Kedartal route for the past six days were recovered on Wednesday (November 4), taking the death toll in the tragedy to four.

As rescue teams continued their search amid deep snow and difficult terrain, the bodies recovered a day earlier were identified as sisters Vartika Verma (28) and Deepika Verma (29), residents of Gayatri Puram in Lucknow’s Vikasnagar area.

Their family members, along with relatives of other missing trekkers, have started reaching Uttarkashi and are awaiting updates from authorities.

Bodies of two men yet to be identified

Officials said the two bodies recovered on Wednesday were both men. The bodies were airlifted from the Kedartal region to the Matli helipad and later taken to the district hospital in Uttarkashi. Identification of the latest recovered bodies is under way.

Also read: 2 bodies found as search for Kedartal trekkers enters Day 5 amid blizzards, avalanche

The eight persons who went missing included five trekkers (all men) from West Bengal, the two sisters from Uttar Pradesh, and a local guide.

Atul Verma, brother of Vartika and Deepika, said he learnt about their disappearance through a social media post by the trekking agency. He alleged negligence on the part of the agency, claiming that families were not informed despite emergency contact details being available.

Sisters’ family blames agency

“I immediately contacted the agency after seeing the post but received no response. We got information only from the district administration,” Verma told local media.

He also questioned the agency’s decision to undertake the trek despite adverse weather warnings and alleged that the guide accompanying the group lacked sufficient experience.

“The agency did not contact the emergency numbers of family members shared with them... Their own members came back, but they should have ensured that the trekkers also returned with them,” Verma said.

SDRF officials carry the mortal remains of a missing trekker, to be airlifted to a hospital, in Uttarkashi, on Wednesday, November 4. PTI Photo

What agency did

On October 27, a group of 13 people—comprising seven trekkers and six support staff—set out from Gangotri for the Kedartal trek.

They were scheduled to return on October 29, but adverse weather conditions, including snowfall and an avalanche, blocked the route, preventing their timely return.

Subsequently, on October 30, the trekking agency dispatched a team of porters and guides, who managed to clear a path for approximately six kilometres.

Four returned safe

The district emergency operations centre on Saturday informed that four individuals had been found safe, while eight were stranded beyond Bhojkhadak following an avalanche.

The trek from Gangotri to Kedartal covers a distance of approximately 26 kilometres. The standard route leads from Gangotri to Bhoj Kharak to Kedar Kharak and then on to Kedartal. Narrow, rocky sections, rugged terrain, and high altitude pose challenges for trekkers.

Also read: Lost but unafraid: Kerala trekker unfazed after spending 3 days alone in Kodagu forest

Situated at an altitude of about 4,700 m above sea level, this glacial lake is surrounded by towering mountain peaks and challenging, inaccessible terrain.

Difficult terrain and adverse weather

A 10-member team of the SDRF and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) has been conducting search operation at Kedarkhadak to trace the missing trekkers amid difficult terrain and challenging conditions.

Officials said 10 to 12 feet of snow has accumulated in the area due to the avalanche, hampering the rescue operations.

They added that the rescue team is digging snow by hand, citing difficulty in deploying the snow-removal machines to the avalanche area.

One Bengal trekker’s relative in Uttarkashi

At the Matli helipad, officials and personnel from the relevant departments have been dispatching essential supplies by helicopter to the Kedarkhadak area, ensuring that the search teams receive the necessary materials and resources.

District Magistrate Prashant Arya said a relative of a trekker from West Bengal has also reached Uttarkashi. “The family members have requested the administration to give them timely information regarding the search and rescue operation,” he said.

Also read: In TN, forest trails turn death traps as trekkers flout safety norms

The district administration is also maintaining constant oversight regarding the requirements, safety, and logistical arrangements for the teams involved in the search operation, he added.

All hands on deck

“Every possible effort is being made through the concerted actions of all relevant departments to ensure that the operation is carried out in an organised and effective manner,” the Uttarkashi district administration said in an official statement.

Teams from the district administration, the Disaster Management Department, police, the SDRF, the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are working together in close cooperation and coordination, it added.

(With agency inputs)