Hopes of further survivors from the devastating avalanche in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, appear to be fading after the bodies of a further seven climbers were found by search and rescue teams today. The confirmed death toll now stands at 26.
An avalanche struck Draupadi ka Danda 2 when a team of climbers from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering was returning to basecamp on Tuesday. One member of the team was Tiklu Jyrwa from Meghalaya.
Fourteen climbers were rescued by the following day but no further good news for friends, family and colleagues has come since.
Bad weather has also periodically hampered search operations.
Only three climbers remain unaccounted for.
Jyrwa’s brother-in-law and fellow climber, Wallambok Lyngdoh, is leaving for Uttarakhand on Saturday.
Although 26 bodies have been recovered so far, the names of only a few have been released. This is because formal identification of the bodies is not being done at base camp but only after they reach hospital. However, the bad weather is disrupting even the transport of the dead.
