7 trekkers stranded since Friday in Rudraprayag by IAF chopper

DEHRADUN: Seven trekkers stranded at a height of 4,500 metres in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag since Friday were evacuated on Monday morning by an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper. The group sent SOS messages to the administration on Friday evening, saying they were unable to trek back on their own and had run out of food and water.

The group was in the district’s Pandav Shera area, a trekking point 40km from the closest road, to make a documentary. Five of them including four porters were from Uttarakhand while the other two were from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Rudraprayag district’s disaster management officer Nandan Rajwar said the seven were rescued at about 6.30am on Monday.

“Indian Air Force’s Cheetah chopper took them to Gauchar airstrip in Chamoli district from where they were rushed to nearby ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) hospital for a check-up… All of them have been discharged”, Rajwar said.

Ridhim Aggarwal of Uttarakhand’s state disaster response force (SDRF) said a high-altitude rescue team was sent to Rudraprayag in a civil chopper on Saturday but the chopper was not able to carry out the rescue operation at such a height.

Aggarwal, a deputy inspector general of police-rank officer, said an ÌAF chopper was subsequently requisitioned on Sunday and conducted a recce of the area. But it also could not carry out rescue operations due to adverse weather conditions. The IAF chopper made the second attempt early on Monday.