A part of a mountaineering expedition from the Indian Navy got caught in an avalanche on their way to Mt Trishul, Uttarakhand, on October 1.
Four of the five missing personnel are found dead, and their mortal remains are repatriated.
This Story is Updated
The search is on for the fifth member and a Sherpa who was accompanying the group at the time of the disaster.
The names and ranks of the deceased are released by the Navy.
They are –
Lt Cdr Rajnikant Yadav
Lt Cdr Yogesh Tiwari
Lt Cdr Anant Kukreti
Hariom MCPO II
How did the Navy personnel get caught in an Avalanche
Mt Trishul (also spelled Trisul) is named so for its three mountain peaks (named Trishul 1, Trishul 2, and Trishul 3) that give out the appearance of Lord Shiva’s Trident.
Trishul 1 is the highest point at 7120 meters.
The 20-member team climbed up to Camp 3 (Trishul 3), and ten of them started their ascent to Trishul 1.
This is where they got trapped in the avalanche, and five navy personnel went missing.
It is unclear as to how severe the avalanche was. An avalanche can slide down at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour and can weigh hundreds or even thousands of tons.
The remaining fifteen members from the expedition, the Air Force, Army, and the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), were involved in the search and rescue operation.
As per the morning update on October 2, helicopters (Helos in the tweet) and ground teams were on the job.
The team began their quest on September 3 from Mumbai.