Uttarakhand avalanche: 12 more bodies retrieved, 15 still missing

First group of evacuated mountaineers on Wednesday. Pic/ANI

Twelve more bodies were recovered on Thursday, two days after a team of climbers from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand went missing after being trapped in an avalanche on their way back from a peak, the institute said.

The avalanche occurred at a height of 17,000 feet on Tuesday when the team was returning after summiting Draupadi Ka Danda II peak. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering said the recovery of 12 more bodies takes the toll to 16, most of whom are trainees.

Also Read: Uttarakhand Police release list of 28 trainee mountaineers missing after avalanche

Nayab Subedar Anil Kumar, who is among the 14 climbers rescued on Wednesday, said, "There were 42 climbers in the team, including 34 trainees. I was leading them. Instructors Savita Kanswal and Naumi Rawat were behind me while the rest followed them. Just then, the avalanche hit and buried every-thing under thick snow within seconds," he said.

16
Total no of bodies found so far

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