Uttarkashi Avalanche: Death toll rises to 26, search operation on for 3 trainees

The death toll in the Uttarkashi avalanche rose to 26 after seven more bodies of trainees were recovered on Friday from Draupadi ka Danda mountain peak in Uttarakhand, where an avalanche hit a team of mountaineers on October 4 morning.
According to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), as many as 29 people, including two instructors and 27 trainees, were stranded, and the search and rescue operation is in progress for the remaining three trainees. A search and rescue operation is in progress at the disaster site. The Helibome operation is ON. Evacuation of dead bodies by helicopter will be done depending on the weather conditions. “Search and rescue is in progress for the remaining 03 trainees,” the NIM said in a statement.
Personnel from various teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), the Air Force, the Army, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the High Altitude War School in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir have been deployed in the rescue operations.
Earlier in the day, the rescue operation was delayed due to bad weather conditions.
The Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bhatwadi, Chatar Singh said that four more bodies of the trainee mountaineers were brought on Friday morning, which will be taken for post-mortem.
Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said that efforts are being made to bring the bodies to Matli helipad by Advanced Light Helicopter on Friday.