India: At least 10 dead from an avalanche in the Himalayas

At least 10 people have died and 18 are still missing in the Himalayas, according to a new toll released by Indian police today, a day after an avalanche that swept away a group of climbers.

This group consisted of 34 people studying at a local mountaineering club, the Nehru Mountaineering Institute, 7 teachers and a nurse.

Four of them were confirmed dead yesterday, Tuesday, after the avalanche triggered near the summit of the 4,880-meter Mount Draupadi and Dada-II in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Searches were suspended due to bad weather last night and resumed this morning.

“Rescue crews have recovered 10 bodies,” Uttarakhand state police announced on Twitter today.

According to her, 14 people have been rescued, of which 5 are being treated at a district hospital in the neighboring city of Uttarkasi.

Images released by the police show some of the rescued arriving on foot in that city, accompanied by police officers.

Uttarakhand local government chief Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed on Twitter that seasoned mountaineer Savita Kanswal, a member of the teaching team, was among the dead. Earlier this year, she had conquered Everest and neighboring Makulu in just 16 days, setting a record for women.

Two military helicopters have been sent to the area to help with the search, according to a disaster management official.

National disaster agency spokesman Ridhim Agarwal said the climbers were trapped in a ravine shortly after the avalanche.

There is no research quantifying the impact of climate change in the Himalayas, but climbers have observed widening ravines, water in previously snow-covered zones and the proliferation of glacial lakes.

RES-EMP

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.