At least four mountaineers were killed after a group of 34 trainees and seven instructors from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) were caught in an avalanche at Mount Draupadi Ka Danda – II peak in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday, NIM Principal Colonel Amit Bisht said. The Indian Air Force has apprised that trainee mountaineers hit by the avalanche are trapped at 17,000 feet, officials said.
A 5-member rescue team comprising of SDRF officials and three NIM instructors were dropped by helicopter at the Dokriani glacier today, the Uttarakhand government said. The rescue operation will resume Wednesday morning, it added.
Ten bodies were sighted, of which four have been recovered, Col Bisht told PTI. The avalanche occurred at 8.45 am, he said.
41 Mountaineers Hit by Avalanche: NIM
According to an official statement from NIM, a well-known mountaineering school under the Defence Ministry, a team comprising 34 trainees, 7 mountaineering instructors and one nursing assistant arrived at the base camp on September 25 for an advanced mountaineering course.
“As per the training schedule, the team went for high-altitude training at Camp 1 which was scheduled from October 2-4. On October 4, the team moved to high-altitude navigation and height gain to Mount Draupadi ka Danda – II. While returning back from the mountain peak, the team met with an avalanche occurred from base camp 1 in which 34 trainees and 7 instructors were caught under an avalanche at 8.45 hrs,” it said.
The rescue work is in progress and as of now four bodies have been recovered, it said, adding that the SDRF, NDRF and the Indian Air Force are helping in the rescue operation.
Uttarkashi Disaster Management Officer Devendra Patwal said eight of those trapped were rescued by their team members.
Uttarakhand residents comprise the highest number of missing mountaineers, followed by three trainees from West Bengal, sources told CNN-News18. Trainee climbers from Delhi, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were also part of the expedition.
IAF Conducts Aerial Recce
Uttarakhand SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra told ANI new agency heavy snowfall on Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak making rescue efforts difficult. “Despite this, recce efforts are underway through IAF helicopters to rescue NIM mountaineering trainees,” he said.
“The Indian Air Force is doing an aerial recce of the mountain where this happened. It is not easy to reach the spot,” Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar told Reuters by phone.
PM Modi Condoles Loss of Lives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives and offered condolences to the bereaved families. “It is saddening that we have lost precious lives of those associated with a NIM Uttarkashi mountaineering expedition. Condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway and the situation is being closely monitored by the authorities,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a tweet.
It is saddening that we have lost precious lives of those associated with a NIM Uttarkashi mountaineering expedition. Condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway and the situation is being closely monitored by the authorities: PM @narendramodi— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 4, 2022
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and a team of mountaineers from the NIM have launched rescue operations. The chief minister also spoke to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the phone and sought the help of the army in expediting rescue operations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed grief over the incident and said: “anguished by the lives lost”. He said that he spoke to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister and took stock of the situation. The Defence Minister assured that rescue operations are underway to help the mountaineers who are still trapped.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tweet expressed sadness over the incident and said a team comprising of SDRF, NDRF, ITBP and the Army are engaged in relief and rescue operations. “The incident of an avalanche in Uttarkashi is very sad. I have spoken to the officials in this regard. Local administration, SDRF, NDRF, ITBP and Army teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations with full readiness,” he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condoled the loss of lives in the avalanche said he was praying for the safe return of those missing and speedy recovery of the injured. “News of the avalanche in Uttarakhand, which has claimed many lives, is distressing. Heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones,” Gandhi said. “Praying for the safe return of those missing, and speedy recovery of those injured,” he said.
Draupadi Ka Danda is located at a height of 5,006 metres.
Last year, five mountaineers of the Indian Navy and one porter went missing after getting caught in the avalanche. A 20-member team of mountaineers of the Indian Navy had embarked on an expedition in October 2021 to reach the summit of the 7,120-metre Mount Trishul. After the five mountaineers and the porter went missing in the avalanche, the remaining team members stopped the campaign and returned to their camp.
In February 2021, as many as 80 bodies were recovered and 204 people were reported missing following an avalanche that occurred in Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand, leading to a rise in water level. The avalanche occurred in the upper catchment of the Rishiganga river, a tributary of the Alaknanda river in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, which led to a sudden rise in the water level of Rishiganga river.
(With inputs from PTI)
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