The 13-members of a trekking expedition team which including 10 foreigners, who had reportedly gone missing in higher reaches of Pangi subdivision in Chamba district has been located by rescue teams.
Police officials said the trekkers have been located in Pangi valley and are being brought back to safety.
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Though the number of trekkers was not 16 as was being reported earlier and the trekking troupe consists of nine United Kingdom nationals, a woman from Ireland and 3 Indians.
The trekking team was being brought back to safety by rescue team which consists of police personnel, local porters and mountaineering experts.
“The trekkers and rescue team have reached Sechu nullah in Pangi area,” police officials added.
Officials said the trekkers had reached Hiltwan area of Pangi in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, around 300 km from here on 17 September.
They had left for Bhujpatra mountains in Pangi valley on 19 September where they had set up camps and had asked the porters to meet them again on 29 September.
The local porters who had returned to base camp at Hiltwan, tried to contact the trekkers, they couldn’t be contacted despite repeated.
This prompted them to report the matter to police who sent a search party to locate the missing foreigners.
The incident comes a few days after a group of 45 students of IIT-Roorkee, five Indian- born US nationals and two German trekkers, were rescued from Lahaul valley after they were stranded owing to heavy snowfall.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the Lahaul Spiti district, termed as the cold desert of Himachal Pradesh, had witnessed heavy snowfall in September month since 1955.
The state government had launched massive rescue operation involving 5 Indian Air Force choppers and had rescued 233 stranded persons from Lahaul Spiti while over 3000 persons were brought back to safety in Manali in Kullu district.
