An avalanche struck at a peak in the Gangotri Mountain range in the Garhwal Himalayas in northern India caused 10 to die and 11 to go missing. Uttarakhand Estate Police Chief Ashok Kumar stated that there were 29 people climbing the mountain and 8 of them survived and sent to a hospital. However, the 11 missing casualties are still being searched for. The search and rescue efforts that are being carried by National Disaster Response Force and an Indian army are provided with 2 helicopters.

“It is the first time in the history of Indian mountaineering that such a large group of climbers have lost their lives due to an avalanche,” said Amit Chowdhary, official from the International Federation of Climbing and Mountaineering.

Avalanche disasters occur frequently in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand. Last year, more than 200 people lost their lives in the flood disaster that occurred as a result of the ruptured glacier falling into the river.