The body of mountaineer Tiklu Jyrwa, who was lost in the avalanche that struck Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday, reached Shillong today evening.
His wife, Indalin Lyngdoh Marshilong, wept inconsolably as the coffin was brought to the house.
Jyrwa’s body was formally identified by his brother-in-law and fellow climber Wallambok Lyngdoh yesterday morning. The body was brought via aeroplane to Guwahati with that of an Assam climber, Deepshikha Hazarika. It was given a police escort from the airport to Shillong.
They were part of a team of climbers that was caught by the avalanche after summitting Draupadi ka Danda 2. The bodies of 27 of the 29 who went missing have been recovered. Several other climbers who were further away from this group largely escaped injury.
Lyngdoh informed that Jyrwa, who was on an advanced mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, was said to be one of the toughest trainees and that he had been nominated as the course’s Best Trainee. Jyrwa was taking the course in the hopes of becoming an instructor and improving his family’s fortunes, as they were not well off.
He added that, though the loss is a terrible one, the family are lucky that his body could be given a proper funeral as, in many cases, victims of avalanches are never found.
The 35-year-old Jyrwa was a resident of Upper Lumparing here. The funeral service will begin at 1pm on Tuesday and he will be laid to rest at the Lumparing Presbyterian Cemetery.
