Helicopters rescue twenty-one trekkers and porters from high snow areas in Uttarkashi

Rescue Operation

Twenty-one trekkers and porters were rescued on Tuesday from the Kalindi Pass, Jogin-I Peak, and Satopanth Peak base areas in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district due to heavy snowfall and bad weather. Eight people from Kalindi Pass and another eight from Jogin-I Peak were airlifted to the Harsil helipad. A helicopter also brought five people to Harsil from the Satopanth Peak base camp, where rescue work is still going on. All rescued individuals got a health check in Harsil. Three Army porters were also rescued from the Vasuki Tal area.

Total Numbers

On Monday, officials evacuated forty stranded trekkers, which included twenty-nine from the Auden's Col Pass base camp and eleven from the Kalindi Pass base camp. Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya said 136 people in total were in the high-altitude areas of the district. Eighty-nine of them were part of mountaineering expeditions, while the rest were high-altitude trekkers. Arya said the administration is monitoring the operation through the Smart Control Room to ensure every person is safely brought down.

Context

High-altitude Himalayan regions often experience sudden weather changes and heavy snowfall, which can trap trekkers and porters in remote base camps. Local administrations use helicopters and local coordination teams to rescue stranded mountaineers during such emergencies.