14 Stranded Trekkers To Reach Himachal's Kaza, Bodies To Arrive At Keylong Today: Official

Fourteen members of the mountaineering team from West Bengal stranded for over two weeks with two bodies at over 5,000m high Khamengar glacier of Lahaul Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh are likely to reach Kaza, Lahaul Spiti Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said.

The rescue team would, however, arrive at Keylong with the bodies of two trekkers from West Bengal who died due to inclement weather today.

"The stranded 14 trekkers are likely to reach Kaza while the rescue team will stay at Dhar Chanko. The rescue team will arrive at Keylong along with two bodies today," he said.

A joint team of ITBP, Army and Civil Administration launched a rescue mission at 3 am on Tuesday from Kaza towards the higher reaches of Manali-Khamengar Pass-Manirang in Lahaul-Spiti Himachal Pradesh, the paramilitary force said.

A team of mountaineers from West Bengal and local porters were reportedly stranded at the high mountain range at approximately 18,000 feet.

The deputy leader of the expedition, who along with another member of the expedition reached the ITBP Camp, Kaza to seek rescue for the group on Monday said that they had begun their expedition from Manali on September 17.

On September 25, while the team was passing down from Khamenger Pass, two members- Sandeep Kumar Thakurta, (48) and Bhaskardeb Mukhopadhyaya, (61) (both from West Bengal) died due to mountain sickness.

The entire expedition team consisted of 17 members including 6 mountaineers, 1 Sherpa and 10 Civil Porters. The team's deputy leader further said that both the bodies are lying at the point along with other members of the expedition awaiting help.

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