Snowfall cuts short operation, teams return with one body

The search parties were dispatched following report of five highly decomposed bodies, including one of a foreign tourist, lying in the high altitude area bordering Tibet. The bodies were reportedly discovered by a mountaineering expedition a fortnight ago. The mountaineers from Lucknow had informed the Army officials posted in the area that they noticed five decomposed bodies at Kalandi and between Arbatal and Arbanala.

Since the bodies were seen on the border of Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts, another 37-member team, led by Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Manoj Pandey, was sent from Uttarkashi. However, the Uttarkashi district administration asked its search party to abandon the trek and return in view of the snowfall. While 25 porters of the team had reached Nandanvan, the other officers could only reach up to Bhojwasa.