Kolkata, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Eight members of an expedition team, including five from West Bengal’s Bankura district, have gone missing after an avalanche and sudden snowstorm struck them during a trek to Kedartal in Uttarakhand, a government official said on Tuesday. Search and rescue operations are underway.
The five missing trekkers from Bankura have been identified as Tapas Bauri, Ratan Ghosh, Rintu Mandal, Uday Ghosh and Manoj Khawas. The first four are from Salbani village, while Khawas belongs to Keshra village. The remaining missing members are two residents of Lucknow and one from Uttarkashi.
The 12-member expedition team, which included four Sherpas and an assistant, had set out from Gangotri for Kedartal. While trekking at an altitude of around 4,000 metres, most members were caught in severe weather. Four members, including a Sherpa and the assistant, reached their destination on October 30 and informed authorities that eight others were missing.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed concern over the missing trekkers and said the state government was coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). He said police and disaster management officials had been assigned round-the-clock coordination duties, while the families were being provided assistance.
The Uttarakhand SDRF, supported by a helicopter operated by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, has been searching the mountainous region for the past two days. However, adverse weather conditions have hampered the operation, and no breakthrough has been reported so far.
Bankura District Magistrate Anish Dasgupta said the administration had contacted the families and assured them of all possible help. Family members said they had been in regular contact with the trekkers after their arrival in the mountains, but there had been no communication for the past two to three days. Their mobile phones were also switched off.
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