Much to the relief of their worried families, four tourists from Uttar Pradesh who went missing during a trip to Ladakh’s Pangong Lake region were rescued alive after spending five days stranded in sub-zero temperatures.
The tourists – Yash Mittal, Shivam Chaudhary, Jaiveer Chaudhary and Shadanshu Faujdar from Agra – were on a trip to Ladakh and were reported missing by their families after they lost contact with them a few days back, the Police officials said adding that they had lost contact with their families while travelling in the remote high-altitude region, prompting authorities to issue a missing persons alert.
Police acted swiftly and launched a coordinated search operation, leading to the safe recovery of the tourists who had lost their way and were trapped in a hut in harsh winter with sub-zero temperatures, the officials said.Their vehicle later met with a minor accident near Sarchu, forcing them to abandon it. Search teams first traced the vehicle along the roadside and then expanded the operation to nearby areas, including Debring and Whisky Nalla.
The tourists were eventually found nearly 20 kilometres away, sheltering inside a hut to escape freezing temperatures. Police said the group survived by spending two nights inside their vehicle, using its heating system until the fuel ran out, before venturing out in search of shelter.
Police launched a coordinated search operation using technical inputs and last known location data, braving harsh weather and extreme cold. Officials said the group had travelled to Pangong Lake in a private vehicle on January 9 and, while returning to Leh, mistakenly took the Leh–Manali road, which remains closed due to heavy snowfall.“All four were found in stable condition,” officials said, adding they were provided immediate assistance, including food, water and medical care. Arrangements have been made to escort them safely to Leh, from where they will be reunited with their families.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh Union Territory administration on Tuesday suspended the popular Chaddar trek over the frozen Zanskar River after a joint committee of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the UT Disaster Response Force found that parts of the river had begun to unfreeze, making the trek hazardous.
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