Himalayas Trekkers Missing as Snow Halts Rescue

Himalayas trekkers missing in India’s northern Uttarakhand state numbered eight on Tuesday, as heavy snowfall and poor visibility hampered rescue operations in the region, local media reported.

Rescue teams discovered a tent buried under snow, along with clothing, slippers and food supplies, near Kedartal in Uttarkashi district, according to the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran. A search covering a two- to three-kilometre radius around the site failed to locate the missing people, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The operation was suspended after continuing snowfall reduced visibility to near zero. Rescue operations are expected to resume when weather conditions improve.

Himalayas trekkers missing: who is missing, and how the party was split

The missing group includes five trekkers from West Bengal, two women from Uttar Pradesh and a local guide. They were among a trekking party that departed Gangotri on October 27 and was scheduled to return on October 29.

Four members of the wider party, including three porters and a cook, were rescued on Saturday after avalanches blocked the route. That rescue shows how the party was split by the same avalanches that now complicate the search: some members reached safety, while the missing eight remained in the high route.

A 10-member rescue team was airlifted to the area on Monday, according to the Press Trust of India. Authorities said multiple avalanches had struck the trekking route, complicating both ground searches and helicopter operations.

Meanwhile, authorities have closed high-altitude trekking routes above 4,000 metres following heavy snowfall, Dainik Jagran reported on Tuesday. The closure is a preventive step, aimed at keeping further parties out of routes where snow, avalanches and visibility now make travel unsafe.

Why a search at 4,000 metres stops in snowfall

Kedartal sits at about 4,000 metres, where weather can change fast and where a search party faces three problems at once. Snow buries tracks, clothing and shelter, so a team can walk close to a site and still miss it. Avalanches can block the same path twice, cutting off both the missing party and the rescuers. And near-zero visibility grounds helicopters and makes ground movement slow and dangerous.

The buried tent found by rescuers illustrates the first problem. The tent, clothing, slippers and food supplies were found under snow, but no trace of the missing group was found in the surrounding two- to three-kilometre search. That suggests the party may have moved on from the camp, or may be sheltering elsewhere, but the snow has removed the signs that would normally guide a search.

The suspension of the operation is therefore not a sign that rescuers have given up. In mountain rescue, a team that pushes on through near-zero visibility risks adding its own members to the casualty list. The usual practice is to wait for a weather window, keep a team in place, and resume as soon as helicopters and ground parties can move safely.

The same weather pattern has affected the mountains on the Pakistan side of the range. Feature Pakistan reported on 3 November that heavy snowfall blanketed Kaghan Valley, with traffic on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road suspended and tourists barred from travelling beyond Naran. The two events are separate, but they show a single early-November snow spell making high routes unsafe across the region.

For families waiting for news, the key facts are still unknown: whether the eight reached shelter, whether they are together, and how long food and warmth will last at altitude. Rescue teams will need a break in the snowfall to answer those questions, and the next weather window, not the calendar, will decide when the search resumes.

The snowfall mirrors winter weather elsewhere in the region, with Murree’s winter safety plan ready for the tourist season, Galiyat’s first snowfall drawing tourists to hill resorts, and fog closing the M3 motorway between Faizpur and Jaranwala, as well as the Sost-Khunjerab green channel linking Pakistan and China through the mountains.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are missing in Uttarakhand?

Eight people are missing: five trekkers from West Bengal, two women from Uttar Pradesh and a local guide.

Where were they found last?

Rescuers found a tent buried under snow, with clothing, slippers and food supplies, near Kedartal in Uttarkashi district, but no trace of the missing group in a two- to three-kilometre search around the site.

Why was the rescue operation suspended?

Continuing snowfall reduced visibility to near zero, and multiple avalanches had blocked the route, complicating ground searches and helicopter operations.

When did the party set out, and when was it due back?

The trekking party departed Gangotri on October 27 and was scheduled to return on October 29. Four members, including three porters and a cook, were rescued on Saturday.

Have high routes been closed?

Yes. Authorities have closed high-altitude trekking routes above 4,000 metres following heavy snowfall.