Stranded Bengal mountaineers rescued from Himachal's Kinnaur district

A 12-member expedition team from Kolkata was rescued from Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, after being stranded by heavy snowfall near Mount Leo Pargil-2. The rescue was a joint effort by ITBP, local police, and residents.

A 12-member expedition team from Kolkata-based mountaineering and adventure club 'Himalaya's Beckon' were stranded amid heavy snowfall during an expedition to Mount Leo Pargil-2 in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, and were returned safely to Nako village.

The rescue operation was carried out through a joint effort involving the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local police, and area residents who navigated difficult terrain to reach the stranded group. The expedition team called off its summit bid just below the peak after encountering severe whiteout conditions, incessant snowfall, and high-altitude sickness among its members. Eventually, all the members of the expedition team were safely brought down to Nako village.

Team Member Recounts Ordeal

Recounting the incident, a member of the expedition team explained that the group turned back near the summit after a team member fell ill with altitude sickness. After the team returned to the base camp, snowfall began at midnight. The expedition team then contacted the ITBP and police. "We were on an expedition to Leo Pargil. We reached a point just below the summit, but had to turn back due to one of our members suffering from altitude sickness. We returned to the base camp, but snowfall began at midnight and continued incessantly. Our plan for that day had been to descend to Nako village. Realising we needed assistance, we first contacted the ITBP and then the police,” he said.

He added that the homestay owner sent two locals who knew the terrain well for help. The ITBP also arrived with medical aid. “Our homestay owner suggested sending local people who knew the terrain well. He contacted two Nepali men and sent them ahead to open the route and reach the point where our team was stranded. Finally, the ITBP arrived with a medical team," he said.

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