Nine trekkers from Karnataka lost their lives in Uttarakhand due to extreme weather conditions, officials said on Wednesday.
A 22-member trekking team was sent by Himalayan View Trekking Agency, Maneri, on May 29 on a 35-km long trek from Uttarkashi.
The team constituted 18 trekkers from Karnataka and one from Maharashtra, besides three local guides, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday instructed the officials concerned to take necessary action for safe rescue of trekkers and to bring the bodies of the deceased to the state immediately.
Earlier in the day, the Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department, Rashmi Mahesh, told PTI that four trekkers from Karnataka died while rescue operations were on to save the others trapped at Sahasratal in Uttarakhand. The District Magistrate of Garhwal was monitoring the rescue operation.
However, later, the death toll rose to nine.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda left for Dehradun to monitor and coordinate the rescue operation.
In a statement released by his office, the minister said that a team of trekkers from Karnataka started their trek on Tuesday morning in the high altitude area of Shastratal Mayali in Uttarakhand. After reaching the destination, the team tried to return to the camp again. However, on the way back, the weather turned completely bad at 2 pm due to a blizzard and they were stranded.
“Last night, we came to know that trekkers from Karnataka are in danger due to adverse weather conditions. As soon as we came to know the matter, the Uttarakhand government, Mountaineering Federation of India and the Home Department of the Central Government were contacted through the district administration. With their help, the rescue operation is being carried out,” he said.
According to Gowda, emergency rescue operations started on Tuesday evening with the help of locally available helicopters. Also, an Indian Air Force helicopter reached Uttarkashi at 9 am on Wednesday to rescue the trekkers, and a disaster management team started moving towards the camp by land route this morning.
Some trekkers have been rescued and were sent to a safe place in Dehradun.
“I spoke to one of the trekkers and gathered accurate information about the current situation there. The work to rescue the rest is in progress and the Government of Karnataka has already started all its efforts to rescue the trekkers. I left for Dehradun on Wednesday afternoon to assist in this operation,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there have also been reports of some trekkers dying, which we are trying to reconfirm with local authorities and private agencies. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed us to make all efforts to retrieve the bodies of the deceased trekkers. We are in touch with the Uttarakhand government and are going to work in this regard,” he added.
Later in the evening, a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office said that bodies of those who had gone on a trek to Shastratal Mayali in Uttarakhand and died due to inclement weather would be handed over to their families and the rest of the trekkers who were rescued would be brought safely to the state.
In this regard, the Chief Minister has spoken to the Revenue Minister as well as the rescued trekkers in Dehradun over phone.
“It is very painful to know that the death toll has risen to nine. I pray for the departed souls to rest in peace. All those rescued should be safely brought home without any disturbance. Instructions have been given to Minister Krishna Byre Gowda that all the necessary procedures should be carried out immediately in order to handover the bodies to the families,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
Speaking to the trekkers who were rescued and brought to a safe place, the Chief Minister assured that all efforts are being made at the level of the government to bring everyone safely.
“Those who have already been rescued through the rescue operation have been brought back to a safe area and some trekkers are yet to be rescued. Adverse weather is severely hampering rescue operations and our government is trying its best to bring everyone to safety,” the Chief Minister added.
