Trekkers stranded at Pindari glacier due to avalanche, trekking down: Officials

Trekkers trapped at Pindari glacier in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district amid avalanche-hit are safe and trekking down, said an official on Saturday.

A group of 14 trekkers, including 13 US nationals, were stranded at Pindari glacier after an avalanche hit Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district on April 20.

Soon after, state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel and other rescue teams, along with village locals, began rescue efforts.

Bageshwar district disaster management officer Sikha Suyal said all trekkers are safe and are trekking down. “Only their tent and belongings are buried under the snow. On April 21 morning, they had reached zero point and would reach Duyali by today evening, where they would rest overnight,” said the official.

“Our teams which were dispatched for their rescue would meet them (trekkers) on the way, and they would trek down along with them,” she said.

She added that there were no health concerns, however, a chopper has been kept on standby for an emergency.

Anuradha Pal, district magistrate, Bageshwar said, “As per the information from the rescue team, lightning struck and a big snowball was formed that uprooted the tents of trekkers on April 20 evening. They are trekking down. Their belongings are still buried under the snow, around 20 km from the zero point.”

Lalita Negi, media in-charge at SDRF said, “We received information on April 20 evening about stranded trekkers due to an avalanche from Ravi Kumar, India Program Director of National Outdoor Leadership School [NOLS], a non-profit global wilderness school, and Suresh Madhan of US Embassy. These trekkers, which included one Indian and 13 foreign nationals, had gone to Pindari glacier in Bageshwar district for training.”

The SDRF spokesperson said their team is in coordination with other teams of the local administration. The SDRF team carrying rescue equipment, medical kits, ration kits and other necessary items has already been dispatched to the spot to rescue trekkers, said Negi.

Earlier in the day, the rescue team in charge informed that they have crossed the nearby Khati village and will spot the trekkers soon.