Nine Bengaluru Trekkers Dead, Four More Bodies Discovered in Uttarakhand

Nine trekkers from Bengaluru tragically lost their lives in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, after being caught in severe weather conditions during a trekking expedition to Sahastra Tal. The 22-member team encountered the blizzard on Tuesday afternoon, with officials confirming on Thursday that four additional bodies had been recovered. The deceased, all Bengaluru residents, were identified as Asha Sudhakar (71), Anitha Rangappa (55), Venkatesh Prasad K (53), Vinayak Mungurwadi (52), Sujata Mungurwadi (52), Padmanabha K P (50), Chitra Praneeth (48), Sindhu Wakelam (44), and Padmini Hegde (34). Five bodies had been recovered earlier, while the bodies of Padmanabha, Prasad, Rangappa, and Hegde were found early Thursday morning.
The team was part of a 19-member group from The Karnataka Mountaineering Association, which had embarked on its seventh expedition of the month. Srivatsa S, the association’s secretary, noted that all the deceased were experienced trekkers. He confirmed that the bodies had been transported to Joshimath on Thursday morning.
The tragic incident began when 19 trekkers from Karnataka and three local guides set out on a high-altitude trek to Sahastra Tal, only to be struck by a blizzard around 2 pm on Tuesday. Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is currently in Uttarakhand, detailed that the group had left the Lambtal campsite for Sahastra Tal on June 3. They were returning when the blizzard hit, and by 4 pm, the snow had intensified, leading to the first fatalities by 6 pm.

The blizzard conditions made movement impossible and reduced visibility to zero, forcing the group to huddle together overnight. By the morning of June 4, a guide left to find a spot with mobile connectivity to seek help, while those able to move began heading back to camp. Guides later returned with supplies for the stranded trekkers.
On the evening of June 4, a guide managed to alert authorities after reaching a location with phone service. This prompted the Karnataka Mountaineering Association and the Indian Mountaineering Foundation to notify relevant agencies. Both the Karnataka and Uttarakhand governments began preparations that night. By 5 am on June 5, rescue efforts involving the Army, Air Force, SDRF, and other agencies were underway.
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) reported on Wednesday that their helicopters had successfully evacuated three survivors and the remains of five deceased trekkers. The challenging rescue operation involved light-weight Cheetah helicopters and medium-lift Mi17 V5 helicopters due to the high altitude and rugged terrain.
The Karnataka Mountaineering Association, active since 1966, has a long history of organizing expeditions both within India and internationally. This tragedy marks a somber moment in its distinguished history of mountaineering and adventure activities.
Author:- Apoorva Arora