40 trekkers airlifted in Uttarakhand; dozens still stranded at high camps
Forty stranded trekkers and expedition members were evacuated in Uttarkashi on Monday, but many remain stuck at high-altitude sites as rain and landslides hamper operations.
Forty trekkers and expedition members stranded at the Kalindi Pass Base and Auden's Col Base in Uttarkashi district were evacuated on Monday, even as a larger group remained stuck at high-altitude locations across Uttarakhand because of continuing bad weather.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said about 179 trekkers and expedition members had been on high-altitude routes and at expedition sites in Uttarkashi and Bageshwar districts when the weather alert reached them. The teams were spread across Mt. Sudarshan, Mt. Bhagirathi-II, Mt. Jogin-I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Satopanth and Shrikhanth Peak, as well as trekking routes including Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col. Six foreign nationals are among those reported stranded.
Of the 179, Mr. Suman said, 40 people in Bageshwar are safe and do not require evacuation. Another 40 were rescued on Monday. About 20 trekkers were expected to reach designated points by Tuesday and then walk back to base, while 40 others have chosen to continue their expeditions.
The remaining trekkers will be evacuated once conditions allow, with the operation set to resume at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Eight helicopters have been deployed and a helicopter ambulance is on standby.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the operation at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun and instructed officials to give priority to the safety of the trekkers and to ensure coordination among the agencies involved.
Rain has lashed Uttarakhand since Saturday night, disrupting road links and triggering landslides. More than 112 roads were blocked on Monday, and falling boulders on the Kedarnath route halted the yatra.