At least 10 mountaineers have died in a devastating avalanche in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Another 28 people are missing in this incident. The casualty occurred when a 41-member mountaineering team was hit by an avalanche on a high mountain peak.
According to Times of India, the avalanche happened on Tuesday morning. Initially, four people were reported dead, but till Wednesday, 10 people have been confirmed dead.
It is known that at 8:45 am local time, a group of Indian climbers fell under the influence of an avalanche on a peak located at a height of about 17 thousand feet in the Gangotri range of the Garhwal Himalayas. The team consisted of trainees and instructors from Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). They were hit by an avalanche on their way back after climbing the peak as part of an advanced training course.
Uttarkashi Disaster Management Officer Devendra Patwal said on Wednesday morning that the rescue work was stopped on Tuesday night due to darkness and adverse weather conditions. It will resume from Wednesday. Members of the Indian Air Force are also participating in the rescue operation.
Uttarakhand Police released a list of names of 28 people missing in the avalanche. These include names of trainees from West Bengal, Delhi, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over this incident.
(05 October/ES)