Close to a week after an avalanche struck Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, bodies of two mountaineers from Bengaluru were recovered from Mount Draupadi Ka Danda-2 peak on Sunday, October 9. They have been identified as Dr Rakshit K and Vikram M, who were part of the 29-member group of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), who set out on an expedition to Mount Draupadi, on October 4.
As per reports, the avalanche struck around 8:45 am on October 4, which dislodged the mountaineers, who fell into a crevasse, with freezing temperatures. They did not have any means to contact anybody as well. After news of the avalanche spread, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had begun rescue operations and managed to recover the bodies of four mountaineers on the same day. But it was only five days later that the IAF, along with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) managed to recover the bodies of Rakshit and Vikram.
Speaking to The Hindu, Lokesh MR, vice-president of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association said that the bodies were confirmed to be that of Rakshit and Vikram after they were identified by their respective relatives who were present in Uttarakhand. Their mortal remains will be brought to Bengaluru on Monday, October 10.
After completing a basic mountaineering course, both the residents from Bengaluru had enrolled in a 28-day advanced mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, which is a prerequisite for undertaking expeditions to the Himalayas.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, Rakshit’s friend Purushottam said that Rakshit was planning an expedition to Mount Everest in May next year. “"He was a very skilled adventurer and was well-prepared. Just when things were falling into place, this tragedy struck," Purushottam told DH. Meanwhile, Vikram was a resident of Whitefield and was also a member of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association.