E-Paper
Uttarkashi avalanche: Two trainee mountaineers still missing; GPR to aid rescue
GPR is a geophysical locating method that uses radio waves to capture images below the surface of the ground in a minimally invasive way
The Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) has brought in ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology to trace two people missing from the October 4 avalanche near Mount Draupadi ka Danda-2 peak (5,670 metre), an institute official said on Tuesday.
On October 14, the 27th body of a trainee mountaineer was brought to Uttarkashi town. However, despite continuous search operations, two trainees of the advance mountaineering course (AMC) are yet to be traced.
GPR is a geophysical locating method that uses radio waves to capture images below the surface of the ground in a minimally invasive way. The huge advantage of GPR is that it allows crews to pinpoint the location of underground utilities without disturbing the ground. The method is used as an imaging tool to locate and rescue/recover a buried avalanche victim.
“So far, 27 bodies have been brought from the avalanche site. However, two people – Lt Col Deepak Vashisht and Indian Navy sailor Vinay Pawar – are still missing. They are suspected to have been trapped in a crevasse. Our efforts are on day and night. We have brought a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) from Bengaluru to assist our operations,” NIM registrar Vishal Ranjan said.
“The rescue operation is very challenging at such a height. Weather only adds to the difficulties,” he added.
A team of 41 people — 34 trainees and seven instructors from NIM — were hit by the avalanche around 8.45 am on October 4 near the Dokrani Bamak glacier while returning from high-altitude navigation on the peak.
According to NIM officials, their instructors, porters and jawans of Indian Army’s Gulmarg-based High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) are carrying out the search operation.
Among the deceased was ace mountaineer Savita Kanswal, 26, who earlier this year became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest and Mount Makalu in just 16 days and set a national record.
