Heart-Wrenching! Uttarakhand Trekking Tragedy Survivors ‘Sat With Bodies Of Their Companions For 36 Hrs’

The survivors of the trekking tragedy in Uttarakhand found themselves in a horrific situation, enduring extreme weather conditions and battling for survival. Shocked and shattered, they spent nearly 36 hours with the lifeless bodies of their nine companions. Recalling the traumatic experience, S Srivatsa, Secretary of Karnataka Mountaineering Association, vividly described the trekkers’ struggle at the Dehradun hospital where they were brought for medical attention.

Facing ferocious winds that sent their gear (windcheater, jackets and gloves) flying and reduced visibility to zero, the trekkers sought refuge near a massive boulder. However coupled with exhaustion, hypothermia, and oxygen deprivation four collapsed initially, followed by five others. Trapped in a blizzard, they were unable to move or access their provisions due to the strong wind.

“They said they were unable to move, caught in the blizzard, and became exhausted. They were carrying food but could not eat because they were unable to open the tiffin boxes amid strong winds,” Srivatsa told PTI.

Fortunately, a timely intervention from guides and fellow mountaineers from the lower camp provided additional tents, sleeping bags, and warm water, ultimately saving the remaining survivors from a similar fate. “With that help, the (rest of them) survived. Otherwise, they would have also collapsed,” he added.

Among the tragic losses was 71-year-old Asha Sudhakar, a seasoned KMA member known for her adventurous spirit. According to KMshe had been on several such treks with her husband S Sudhakar in the past, who was the team leader of this trek. He survived the calamity.

“Age was not an issue at all. Asha was an experienced mountaineer and trekker. This team was a combination of mountaineers and trekkers. They were all experienced. In fact, Asha’s husband was the leader of the team. Caught in the inclement weather, she unfortunately lost her life but her husband survived,” Srivatsa told PTI.

Srivatsa confirmed that the group comprised trekkers who were physically fit and experienced and in the age group of 34 to 71 and that the tragedy happened only due to bad weather. “It was not very tough terrain also. The terrain was very accessible to any common person…,” he added.

He said he rushed to Dehradun as soon as he heard about what happened. “I know each one of them personally. They all are KMA members and I have trekked a lot with them in the past but during this trek, I was in Nepal.”

Recalling what he saw at the hospital, he said, “They were in complete shock, shattered and depressed. Some of them were sitting with the bodies of their team members for nearly 36 hours, It was depressing.”

On June 3, due to bad weather, they all took shelter at the big boulder. Due to intense cold and inclement weather, people went into hypothermia and four of them collapsed at night and the next morning, a few of them (trekkers) came down with the guide, he said.

“After the guide reached the nearest signal point, he called me on the evening of June 4, and with the help of the Secretary of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, we organised logistics for rescue on June 5,” he said.

All nine bodies have arrived and been handed over to their respective families for final rites. Those killed in the tragedy are 71-year-old Asha Sudhakar, Sindhu Wakelam (44), Sujata Mungurwadi (52) and her husband Vinayak Mungurwadi (52), Chitra Praneeth (48), Venkatesh Prasad (53), Padmanabha (50), Anitha Rangappa (55), and Padmini (34). All of them were residents of Bengaluru.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. According to a state government statement, Dhami closely monitored the rescue operation to locate and rescue the trekkers.

(With PTI inputs)