Avalanche kills 4 mountaineers, traps many in India's northern Himalayan state

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – An avalanche killed at least four mountaineers and trapped several others in India's northern Himalayan state, officials said on Tuesday.

A massive operation is underway to rescue those trapped in the Uttarakhand state’s Uttarkashi district, officials said, adding that they were over 40 trainees and instructors from the Uttarakhand-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.

“As per the training schedule on October 4, the course (advance mountaineering course, which began Sept. 14) moved for high altitude navigation and height gain to mountain Draupadi ka Dhanda- II (5,670 meters)," the institute said in a statement.

"While returning back from the mountain peak, the advance mountaineering course was met with an avalanche occurred above camp-I in which 34 trainees and 07 mountaineering instructors were caught under avalanche at 8.45 hrs," it added.

Uttarakhand Police in a statement issued in the evening, claimed that 17 people are believed to be safe, while an operation to find others is underway in the area.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said rescue operations are underway to help the mountaineers who are trapped in the area.

The Indian Air Force has been directed to launch the rescue and relief operations, he stated on Twitter.

Arpan Yaduvanshi, a top police officer in the district, told Anadolu Agency that the rescue operation was being hampered by bad weather in the area.