LUCKNOW Two sisters from Lucknow were among four people whose bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning after a trekking group was caught in heavy snowfall and an avalanche on the Kedartal trek route in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
According to the bereaved family, a joint team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) recovered the bodies of two women and two men during a high-altitude search operation.
The deceased sisters were identified as Vartika Verma and Deepika Verma, residents of Gayatripuram in Lucknow. While Vartika worked as a freelance influencer, her younger sister Deepika was employed as a graphic designer with a private firm. They were among eight people — including five trekkers from West Bengal and a local guide from Uttarkashi — initially reported missing after the calamity struck.
Vartika and Deepika had set out from Gangotri for Kedartal on October 27 along with seven other trekkers and five support staff members. The three-day expedition was scheduled to conclude on October 29. However, deteriorating weather conditions and heavy snowfall triggered an avalanche, blocking the return route and leaving eight members of the group stranded in the mountains.
On October 30, some members of the group managed to contact their trekking agency from near Kacchi Dhang to seek assistance, following which a rescue operation was launched. Four members of the support team were safely evacuated on October 31.
{{/usCountry}}On October 30, some members of the group managed to contact their trekking agency from near Kacchi Dhang to seek assistance, following which a rescue operation was launched. Four members of the support team were safely evacuated on October 31.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the sisters’ family reached Uttarkashi after learning about the incident through social media. Their brother, Atul Verma, alleged that the trekking agency failed to inform the family about the tragedy in time and questioned its decision to proceed with the trek despite adverse weather conditions.
Family members said the sisters were passionate about trekking and had explored several destinations across India and Nepal. Two months ago, they had returned from an expedition to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district. Last year, they had also trekked to Kedarkantha in Uttarkashi’s Mori region along with their brother Atul and friends.
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said its teams, along with personnel from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), recovered a fourth body during the search and rescue operation for the missing trekkers and support staff.
The body was airlifted to the Matli helipad in Uttarkashi. Four bodies, including those of two men and two women, have been recovered so far, the statement said, as per a PTI report.