YPS students, lost during trekking in Kullu, rescued

Our Correspondent

Kullu, April 16

As many as 23 students and three teachers of Yadvindra Public School, Patiala, were rescued by the joint efforts of the administration, the police, the Health Department and local residents.

They had lost their way in the forest during their trekking expedition to the Bashleo peak in Banjar subdivision of the district.

The group had reporte-dly left to the Bashleo peak from Kullu-Sarahan yesterday with a local guide Sher Singh and two porters. But they left the students and teachers midway, giving them directions to reach Batahar.

It started raining and the trekkers got lost in the forest. The group found a temporary shelter in the forest, while three students, including a German national, walked uphill to make contact through his mobile phone.

The police immediately swung into action and a team of seven persons, including Tara Chand, Mohan and Thabe Ram, residents of Batahar village, went to search for the stranded trekkers. But despite a massive search, the team could not locate them initially. They, however, kept confirming their well-being on the phone.

Another team of the police and members of the Biodiversity Tourism and Community Advancement, an NGO at Banjar, left today with technical equipment after which all trekkers were rescued.

Kullu DC Rakesh Kanwar said ADM Viney Thakur, SDM Ashwani Sharma, District Health Officer Sushil Chander, Kullu DSP Sanjay Sharma and rescue teams of the mountaineering institute carried out the rescue operation.

The group had left from Patiala on April 11 and moved to Manali.

A tourism expert said professional and trained guides, having registered licences from the Tourism Department, should be hired to avoid any mishap.