 Uttarakhand in India | |
| Date | June 1–5, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | Blizzard started ~14:00 (IST) |
| Location | Between Lambtal and Sahastra Tal peak |
| Cause | Blizzard |
| Organized by | Karnataka Mountaineering Association |
| Participants | 22 |
| Deaths | 9 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 13 |
In June 2024, nine Indian mountaineers died when a blizzard struck their location as they were trekking in the remote Himalayas in Uttarakhand state in north India. [1]
On 29 May 2024, nineteen members of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association from Bengaluru in the southern Indian state of Karnataka began a 35-kilometer long high-altitude trek with three local guides in the remote Sahastra Tal area across the Himalayas. [2] The group was planning to return by 8 June 2024. [3]
On 3 June 2024 at around 14:00 (GMT+5:30), heavy snowfall struck the mountaineer group after reaching Lambtal and as they moved to Sahastra Tal peak at an elevation of about 12,000 feet, which intensified into blizzard conditions that lasted for four hours. [3] The wind escalated to roughly 90 kilometres per hour, with the snow darkening and lowering the trekkers' field of vision. [4] The group attempted to turn back to base camp in Lambtal to alert other mountaineers of their situation. By 18:00 (GMT+5:30), two mountaineers has died from the severe snow and wind in front of the group, which in addition to visibility dropping to near zero, made movement and orientation nearly impossible. The mountaineer group was forced to cluster together under a large rock to endure the night, where more mountaineers succumbed to the weather conditions. [3] Two other mountaineers died on the morning of 4 June 2024, with five more succumbing on 5 June 2024.
On 4 June 2024 evening, a local guide was able to alert rescuers about their situation after being able to connect to a mobile network, and at 5 June 2024, the Indian Air Force reached the team with two Chetak helicopters and a private helicopter to evacuate the 13 survivors to Dehradun. [1] [3] The State Disaster Response Force also dispatched two teams to the location. [3]
 | This article needs to be updated.(June 2024) |
An Indian health official stated that the likely cause of death was hypothermia in addition to dehydration, exacerbated by the severe cold preventing them from drinking water.
On the evening of 6 June 2024, the bodies of the deceased were airlifted from near the site of the disaster in Joshimath to Dehradun, to be transported by road to Delhi and then by air from Delhi to Bengaluru. [3]
All of the victims were from Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a border guarding force of India deployed along its borders with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near the Chorabari Glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini river. The town is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently the Kedarnath Mountain. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund about 16 km away. The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from the Flash Floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park which was established in 1982. It is located in Chamoli in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox and blue sheep. Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high-altitude birds.
Dehradun, also known as Dehra Doon, is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly holding its winter sessions in the city as its winter capital. Part of the Garhwal region, and housing the headquarters of its Divisional Commissioner, Dehradun is one of the "Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region (NCR) being developed as an alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the Delhi metropolitan area and to establish a smart city in the Himalayas.
Uttarakhand, formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a state in northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the northwest, Tibet to the north, Nepal to the east, Uttar Pradesh to the south and southeast, with a small part touching Haryana in the west. Uttarakhand has a total area of 53,566 km2 (20,682 sq mi), equal to 1.6 per cent of the total area of India. Dehradun serves as the state capital, with Nainital being the judicial capital. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The forest cover in the state is 45.4 per cent of the state's geographical area. The cultivable area is 16 per cent of the total geographical area. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and its tributary Yamuna, originate from the Gangotri and Yamunotri glaciers respectively.
Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board, in Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km (180 mi) north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill station is in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range. The adjoining town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment, is considered part of "greater Mussoorie", as are the townships Barlowganj and Jharipani.
Roopkund is a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India. It lies in the lap of Trishul massif. Located in the Himalayas, the area around the lake is uninhabited and is roughly at an altitude of 5,020 metres (16,470 ft), surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains. Roopkund is a popular trekking destination. The size of the lake varies substantially, but it is seldom more than 40 metres in diameter, and is frozen in the winter.
Auli is in Chamoli district in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand, India. Auli, also known as Auli Bugyal, in Garhwali, which means "meadow", is located at an elevation of 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) above sea level. Between June and October, the valley has one of highest numbers of flower species found anywhere in the world, with 520 species of high-altitude plants, 498 of which are flowering plants with significant populations of endangered species.
Bachendri Pal is an Indian mountaineer. In 1984, she became the first Indian woman to climb the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. She was awarded the third highest civilian award in India, Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2019.
Harish Kapadia is a Himalayan mountaineer, author and long-time editor of the Himalayan Journal from India.
Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April and November. During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedarkhand', the historical name of the region.
Captain Mohan Singh Kohli is an internationally renowned Indian mountaineer. An officer in the Indian Navy, who later joined the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, he led the 1965 Indian expedition which put nine men on the summit of Everest, a world record which lasted for 17 years.
Swami Sundaranand was an Indian Yogi, photographer, author and mountaineer who lectured widely in India on threats to the Ganges River and the loss of Himalayan glaciers due to global warming.
Panch Kedar, rendered Pancha Kedara in Sanskrit, refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata.
Chopta is a small region of meadows and evergreen forest area, a part of Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary located in Uttarakhand state, India and a base for trekking to Tungnath, the third temple of Panch Kedar which lies 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) away. Located at a distance of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from Tungnath is Chandrashila, a summit rising to over 4,000 metres (13,000 ft).
Naukuchiatal or "lake of nine corners" is a small hill station, near Nainital Town in Nainital district of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The chairman is Devendra Singh chanotiya.
Yamunotri Temple is situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,291 metres (10,797 ft) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. It's just 129 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarters. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, and has a black marble idol of the goddess. The Yamunotri temple is a full day's journey from Uttarakhand's main towns — Uttarkashi, Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun.
Uttarakhand is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites found throughout the state. As a result, religious tourism forms a major portion of the tourism in the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas. 2019 Tourist Arrivals Domestic – 40,000,000 per/year and Foreigner – 150,000 per year. Tourism business in Uttarakhand generated ₹ 23,000 crores during 2013–14.
Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun is an autonomous Natural Resources research institute for the study of Geology of the Himalaya under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. It was established in June, 1968 in the Botany Department, Delhi University, the Institute was shifted to Dehradun, Uttarakhand during April, 1976.