As many as 12 trekkers stranded on the Khamigar Glacier of Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh were rescued by the members of mountaineering team, Army and ITBP as they returned safely to Kaza here on Wednesday.
Deputy commissioner, Lahaul Spiti, Mr Neeraj Kumar said that the trekkers were given first aid at CHC Kaza soon after they reached today.
These included a Sherpa, six porters and three members, thus 10 members have been rescued today. However a porter and a member had already came down with the rescue team from Kah to the ITBP camp on Monday, which has now reached Kaza. 12 members of the team have reached Kaza.
Rest four potters along with two bodies are being brought down from the Khamigar glacier. They have been brought to the ITBP base camp.
DC said that on reaching Kaza, the team members were given first aid. Two of these members had frostbite.
All the members are healthy, they expressed gratitude to ITBP, Dogra Scouts and Potters in the rescue team, he said that this rescue operation was successfully completed.
Along with this, the ADM of Spiti administration and his team have played a great role in coordination.
Soon, along with both the dead bodies, four porters will also be brought by Kaza Rescue who have just reached the base camp of ITBP.
ADM Kaza Mr Mohan Dutt Sharma enquired about the condition of all the team members.
The rescue trekkers have spoken to the Minister of West Bengal through phone.
It is noteworthy that an 18-member team left from Batal on 15 September. It had 6 members, a Sherpa and 11 porters.
Their trek was to reach Manikarn, from there proceed to Batal, Bada Glacier, Khanmigar Glacier. The team stayed at seven places before reaching the Khimigar Glacier.
They did not continue their further journey due to snowfall. Members Sandeep Thakurata and Bhaskdev Mukhopdhay were left behind as soon as they reached the eighth point on 24 September.
When these two members could not reach the tent, Sherpa and another porter went behind and stopped at the place where both of them were staying. Put a tent there and after staying in the tent with a sleeping bag, they came back. On 25 September, three potters went to see both of them members at around seven in the morning. But when they arrived, both the members were dead.
The three potters returned and informed the other crew members about the dead.
Then the team decided that the local administration should be informed about it and the porter Jeevan along with the member Abhijeet was immediately sent to Kaza. It took them two days to reach Kaza. On the morning of 27 September, both of them informed about this incident to ADM Kaza.
A 32-member rescue team of ITBP, Dogra Scouts and Potters and sent them to Kah village of Pin Valley. On 28 September, the rescue party found the above members on the way.
Two of these members were suffering from frostbite.
The Kaza administration has made the rescue operation successful in the best possible way.
Himachal government, West Bengal government were in touch moment to moment during rescue operation.