NEW DELHI: Eight people, including five trekkers, were missing in India’s northern Uttarakhand state on Tuesday as heavy snowfall, poor visibility and avalanches hampered rescue operations in the Himalayan region, local media reported.
The missing group comprises five trekkers from West Bengal, two women from Uttar Pradesh and a local guide. They were part of a trekking party that set out for the Kedartal area in Uttarkashi district on October 27 and was expected to return two days later, according to media reports.
The group has been missing since October 29, when an avalanche struck the area amid heavy snowfall. The trekkers last contacted their trekking agency that day, asking for help, a local official said.
Snowfall Hampers Rescue Operations
Rescue teams found a tent buried under snow, along with clothing, slippers and food supplies, near Kedartal, the Hindi-language daily Dainik Jagran reported.
A search covering a radius of two to three kilometres around the site failed to locate the missing people, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The operation was suspended as continued snowfall reduced visibility to almost zero, making it difficult for rescue teams to search the area.
A 10-member Mountain Rescue Team was airlifted to the Kedartal valley on Monday to search for the missing group, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
The team comprised six personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and four from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.
Kedartal search enters fifth day, tent and bag found but no trace of 8 missing trekkers
The search for seven trekkers and a guide missing on the Kedartal trek in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, has entered its fifth day, with still no sign of them. Reports say the group went missing after an avalanche in the Kedartal valley.
SDRF and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering teams have found the group’s tent, some belongings and a bag near Kedar Kharak, at an altitude of about 4,000 metres. But the trekkers themselves haven’t been found.
— Kumaon Jagran (@KumaonJagran) November 3, 2026
However, rough weather forced rescuers to call off the search by Monday evening, according to media reports.
Four members of the trekking party, including three porters and a cook, were rescued on Saturday after avalanches blocked the route, according to media reports.
Authorities said multiple avalanches had struck the trekking route, complicating both ground searches and helicopter operations.
The missing trekkers were part of a group undertaking a three-day expedition in the Kedartal region. The party had been scheduled to return on October 29.
Meanwhile, authorities have closed high-altitude trekking routes above 4,000 metres following heavy snowfall, Dainik Jagran reported on Tuesday.
