Two bodies found on trekking route in Uttarakhand; six team members untraced
Trekking suspended at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above owing to heavy snowfall
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the grim search for eight missing persons following an avalanche on the Kedartal trekking route in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, took a somber turn. Rescue teams unearthed the remains of a woman and a man whose identities have yet to be determined. The eight individuals, comprising two from Uttar Pradesh, five from West Bengal, and one guide, went missing on October 30.
Heavy snowfall complicated search efforts, which were hampered by blizzards and treacherous terrain at an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters. The Uttarkashi District Emergency Operations Centre reported that the joint team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) conducted the renewed search.
The operation concluded around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, with personnel returning to base camp. Another search is slated for Wednesday. The group of seven trekkers and six support staff departed from Gangotri on October 27 and was scheduled to return on October 29. However, the trek was halted by snowfall, adverse weather, and glacial conditions.
On October 30, porters and guides cleared around six kilometers of the trail. Five individuals were later rescued, while the remaining eight were trapped beyond Bhojkhadak due to the avalanche. In response to the adverse weather, authorities have suspended trek permits for altitudes of 4,000 meters and above, and the Gaumukh-Tapovan route has been closed following heavy snowfall on October 29. No new permits will be issued for Kedartal, Kalindi Khal, or Udankol routes.
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