As attempts to airlift nine trekkers from Delhi, stranded in remote Bara Bhangal area of Kangra district, failed for the third day today due to inclement weather, two rescue teams have been dispatched to bring them to a safer place for evacuation by air.
"Two rescue teams have been dispatched, one from Holi side in Chamba and the other from Palampur, to bring the trekkers to a place from where they can be airlifted. As per information reaching the district headquarters, one of the teams has reached the village where the trekkers are camping," officials said.
The copters made sorties to Bara Bhangal area but the trekkers could not be airlifted due to bad weather, a police officer said.
"Our attempts to bring the strandedtrekkers using copters were thwarted due to bad weather and high velocity winds blowing in the region. Three attempts made in the last three days failed," Kangra Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan said.
The stranded trekkers have been identified as Sunil Kumar Gaur, Sanjeev Mann, Gaurav Singh, Gaurav Vashishtha, Rajeev K R, Anurag K R Singh, Avesh Pal, Rajesh K R and Vipin Bisht, associated with Income Tax Trekking and Mountaineering Club of Delhi.
They had started the expedition from Manali on May 26. Three of them were injured while crossing the Thamsar Pass, located at an attitude of 4,700 metre and could not continue their journey. They managed to reach a village in Bara Bhangal.
Located at an altitude of 2,800 metres in Dhauladhar mountain ranges, Bara Bhangal is one of the favourite places for foreign and Indian trekkers.
