ITBP rescues two trekkers stranded for over 48 hours in Uttarakhand

New Delhi, May 18

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Two trekkers from Uttar Pradesh who were stranded for over 48 hours during an expedition in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand have been rescued by a team of the ITBP, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

Vishal Gangwar (28) and Santosh Kumar (30) started their trek to Khaliya Top in the district on Sunday.

The duo got stranded near Birthi fall in Munsiyari, away from the seven-km-long trekking route, and somehow managed to call for help from their phone, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson said.

The 14th battalion of the ITBP stationed in the area was alerted by the authorities and two teams were dispatched for the rescue operation, he said.

One of the teams intercepted the climbers on Tuesday night near the Birthi fall area, he said.

The trekkers were dehydrated and hungry and the ITBP teams provided them with food and water, the senior officer said.

“The rescue operation is still on. The rescue team tried to call a helicopter but due to steep gradient, forest and weather hazards, it was not possible to airlift them,” he said.

The team is in the process of taking the trekkers to safety through the land route, the spokesperson said.