4 bodies have been recovered from the Kedartal trekking route after an avalanche trapped mountaineers, while 5 trekkers from West Bengal remain missing. The rescue operation was suspended after fresh snowfall and was scheduled to resume on Thursday.

The missing group includes Tapas Bauri, 30, Ratan Ghosh, 23, Rintu Mandal, 40, and Uday Ghosh, 30, from Salbani village in Bankura district, West Bengal. Their friend Manoj Khowas, 39, from the neighbouring Keshra village, is also missing.

2 of the 4 recovered bodies have not yet been identified. Authorities therefore have not confirmed whether either unidentified victim is among the 5 missing trekkers from West Bengal.

4 bodies recovered

The search began after the trekkers became trapped near Kacchi Dhang on the Kedartal route following an avalanche and snowfall. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering have been conducting the operation.

2 bodies were recovered on Tuesday and 2 more on Wednesday, bringing the total to 4. The other 2 victims were identified as sisters Deepika Verma and Vartika Verma from Gayatripuram in Lucknow.

Their brother Atul Verma identified the bodies and informed the family. According to him, the sisters had been trekking for a long time. They had also completed the Valley of Flowers trek in Chamoli 2 months earlier.

District Magistrate Prashant Arya confirmed the identification of the 2 women. The identities of the 2 male victims recovered during the operation remained unconfirmed in the available report.

Families await confirmation

Subrato Mandal, the nephew of missing trekker Rintu Mandal, said the group had travelled together for trekking before. The men had previously completed 4 treks in different parts of the country.

Mandal worked as a factory supervisor, while 3 of the other trekkers in the group also worked at the same factory. They had taken leave to undertake the Kedartal trek.

The missing men had been on the route for 6 days when the report was published. Their families are awaiting confirmation of their whereabouts and the identities of the 2 unidentified bodies.

Fresh snowfall began again after Wednesday afternoon, forcing rescuers to halt the search. The operation to locate the remaining 4 people was planned to restart on Thursday, weather conditions permitting.

Conclusion

4 bodies have been recovered from the Kedartal trek, including those of the identified Lucknow sisters. The identities of 2 male victims remain pending, while rescue teams continue efforts to locate the 5 missing trekkers from West Bengal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many bodies have been recovered from the Kedartal route?

4 bodies have been recovered so far.

Q. Who were the 2 identified victims?

They were sisters Deepika Verma and Vartika Verma from Gayatripuram in Lucknow.

Q. How many trekkers from West Bengal are missing?

5 trekkers are missing: 4 from Salbani village and one from neighbouring Keshra village.

Q. What happened to the rescue operation?

Fresh snowfall after Wednesday afternoon forced rescuers to suspend the operation. The search was planned to resume on Thursday.

Q. Which teams are conducting the search?

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering are conducting the operation.

Q. Have all 4 recovered bodies been identified?

No. 2 bodies have been identified, while the identities of 2 male victims remain unknown.