Dehradun, 29 September (H.S.): A rescue operation was resumed on Tuesday morning to evacuate trekkers stranded in the Kalindi Khal trekking area of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand. All 19 trekkers stranded in the area have now been safely rescued. Various rescue agencies, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), conducted a coordinated operation and safely evacuated the trekkers to the Harsil helipad.

Under the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi, rescue teams have been continuously engaged in the evacuation and safe rescue operation. At the Harsil helipad, Additional District Magistrate Mukta Mishra, along with personnel involved in the rescue operation and helicopter pilots, held the necessary coordination and detailed planning before commencing the operation in a systematic and safe manner.

According to the Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Authority, efforts to evacuate trekkers stranded in the Kalindi area by helicopter continued as part of the rescue operation. All teams involved worked in close coordination and followed the prescribed action plan. The administration’s primary focus remained on ensuring the safe evacuation of the trekkers amid adverse weather conditions and challenging terrain. The progress of the operation was continuously monitored.

All 19 trekkers stranded on the Kalindi trek in the high-altitude region of Uttarkashi district have now been safely rescued. With this, the rescue operation on the Kalindi trek has been completed.

According to the Disaster Management Department, all 19 trekkers have been moved to a safe location. The operation was carried out in a coordinated manner with the assistance of helicopters and other rescue teams.

Officials said that with the evacuation of additional people on Tuesday, a total of 19 trekkers have now been safely evacuated from the Kalindi Khal area. All 19 trekkers and porters were flown by helicopter to the Harsil helipad.

According to the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC), 11 trekkers and porters were safely evacuated from the Kalindi Pass area and brought to the Harsil helipad on September 28. On September 29, another eight trekkers and porters were safely evacuated by helicopter and brought to Harsil.

After reaching the Harsil helipad, all the evacuees underwent medical examinations. Their health was found to be normal. With this, the rescue operation in the Kalindi Pass area has been completed.

As part of the operation, two SDRF personnel have also been deployed to conduct a reconnaissance of the Mount Jogin area. The team is assessing the geographical conditions and identifying safe routes so that rescue teams can reach any remaining trekkers and facilitate their safe evacuation. A joint rescue operation involving various agencies continues to ensure the safe evacuation of those still stranded.

A total of 137 people were stranded during high-altitude trekking in the upper Himalayan region of Uttarkashi. Of these, 40 people were safely evacuated on Monday, while another 40 declined rescue assistance for the time being and expressed their intention to continue their journey. The rescue operation to safely evacuate the remaining people was resumed on Tuesday morning.

Eight helicopters have been deployed for the rescue operation. The Chief Minister has directed officials to make immediate use of aerial resources as required and to keep a helicopter ambulance on standby so that anyone requiring medical assistance can be transported to a hospital without delay.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar