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Uttarakhand avalanche: At least four dead and dozens missing in Indian Himalayas Uttarakhand avalanche: At least 10 dead and dozens missing in Indian Himalayas
(about 16 hours later)
The disaster happened high in mountains in Uttarakhand stateThe disaster happened high in mountains in Uttarakhand state
At least four people have been killed and dozens are missing after an avalanche struck a team of mountaineers high in the Indian Himalayas. At least 10 people have been killed and many more are missing after an avalanche struck a team of mountaineers high in the Indian Himalayas.
The 34 trainees and seven instructors were practising navigation when they were hit on their descent from a peak in the northern state of Uttarakhand.The 34 trainees and seven instructors were practising navigation when they were hit on their descent from a peak in the northern state of Uttarakhand.
Eight of the party are believed to have been rescued and the rest are trapped in a crevasse, rescuers say. The party was swept into a crevasse. Police now say 14 people have been rescued, while about 20 remain missing.
Search efforts have been paused for the night because of rain and snowfall. The Indian Air Force is helping with the rescue efforts.
Local media reports say the number of casualties may rise significantly.
The group was made up of trainees from the nearby Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. It said they had been returning from Mount Draupadi Danda-2 (5,670m; 18,602 feet) when the avalanche struck.The group was made up of trainees from the nearby Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. It said they had been returning from Mount Draupadi Danda-2 (5,670m; 18,602 feet) when the avalanche struck.
Authorities were alerted at around 09:30 local time on Tuesday (04:00 GMT), rescue workers said. Authorities were alerted at around 09:30 local time (04:00 GMT) on Tuesday, rescue workers said.
"We have confirmation of four deaths out of the 33 people trapped. Around eight of them have already been rescued and the rest are trapped in a crevasse," Ridhim Aggarwal from the State Disaster Response Force told AFP news agency. Search efforts were paused overnight because of rain and snowfall but resumed on Wednesday.
Rescue efforts will continue as long as the weather allows, he said. Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar told ANI news agency that rescue teams could restart operations as the weather had cleared up. "Today six bodies have been recovered. And till now a total of 10 bodies have been recovered," he said.
Earlier, Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar told Reuters news agency: "The Indian Air Force is doing an aerial recce of the mountain where this happened. It is not easy to reach the spot." Earlier, Mr Kumar had told Reuters news agency that the Indian Air Force was doing an aerial recce of the mountain as "it wasn't easy to reach the spot" where the accident happened.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter: "Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi."Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter: "Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi."
It comes a week after the body of famed US ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson was found in the Nepali Himalayas.It comes a week after the body of famed US ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson was found in the Nepali Himalayas.
Ms Nelson, regarded as one of the greatest mountaineers of her generation, was reported to have fallen into a deep crevasse after reaching the summit of Mount Manaslu.Ms Nelson, regarded as one of the greatest mountaineers of her generation, was reported to have fallen into a deep crevasse after reaching the summit of Mount Manaslu.
On the same day she went missing, one person was killed and more than a dozen injured in an avalanche lower down on the same peak.On the same day she went missing, one person was killed and more than a dozen injured in an avalanche lower down on the same peak.