Uttarakhand Avalanche: Special team from Gulmarg called for search and rescue operations
The district administration has halted trekking and mountaineering activities from October 6 to 8. District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela took this decision in view of the warning of heavy rain and snowfall in high altitude areas by the Meteorological Department for the next three days. Along with this, the disaster management system of the district has also been asked to be prepared, although today the weather is clear in the district headquarters, there is bright sunshine, due to which a better rescue operation is expected.
The rescue team of High Attitude Welfare School Gulmarg has reached the district headquarters this morning. It is an expert team in itself because Gulmarg is the only institute in the whole country where training is given for rescue at very high altitude. With the arrival of this team, the expectations have increased further. The team has left for the spot from Matli helipad. 29 people are still missing. While nine bodies have been recovered.
According to the update received on Wednesday evening, the rescue team was three hours away from the spot. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of heavy rain in some districts of Garhwal division for the next three days. There may be snowfall in the higher reaches of the district.
DM Abhishek Ruhela has decided to stop trekking and mountaineering activities in view of the safety of trekkers. According to the order, no team will be allowed for trekking and mountaineering during this period. The District Magistrate said that weather related information is also being given to the teams already going for trekking and mountaineering in the high Himalayan region so that they can stay at safe places.
The team at NIM’s base camp first swung into action as soon as the avalanche was reported. This team reached the spot and rescued its members, covering an inaccessible 22 km journey in just five hours.
Trainer Anil Kumar, who survived the avalanche at Draupadi ka Danda in Uttarkashi, told that the incident happened at around eight o’clock on Tuesday morning.
