Bodies of 10 more avalanche victims brought to Uttarkashi

NDRF personnel during a rescue operation of trainees trapped in an avalanche in Draupadi's Danda-2 mountain peak, in Uttarkashi district. Credit: PTI Photo

Ten more bodies of mountaineering trainees were brought to Uttarkashi on Sunday as search and rescue operations continued for the sixth consecutive day at the avalanche site near Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak.

A total of 27 bodies have been retrieved so far out of which 21 have been brought to Uttarkashi to be handed over to their families, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) said. Four bodies were brought to Uttarkashi on Friday, seven on Saturday and 10 more on Sunday, it said.

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All 21 bodies brought to Uttarkashi have been identified while two mountaineers are still missing, the institute said. According to the NIM, a group of 29 mountaineers including 27 trainees and two instructors who were part of an advanced training course at the institute went missing when the avalanche struck at a height of 17,000 feet on October 4 while they were returning from the summit.

Manual search and rescue operations are in progress at the disaster site, it said.