Uttarakhand Trekking Tragedy Survivors "Sat With Dead Bodies For 36 Hours"
NDTV
Nine trekkers died after they lost their way due to bad weather and got trapped while on their way to Sahastra Tal (lake) in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on June 4.
Shocked, shattered and depressed, the survivors of the trekking tragedy in Uttarakhand sat for nearly 36 hours with the bodies of their nine companions, S Srivatsa, Secretary of Karnataka Mountaineering Association, said while recalling the sight at the Dehradun hospital the survivors were taken to.
"When I spoke to them, they (trekkers) recalled how because of the heavy wind, their windcheater, jackets and gloves were flying and visibility was zero. So, they took shelter next to a big boulder. But because of exhaustion, hypothermia and lack of sufficient oxygen, four of them collapsed at first. Five others collapsed later.
"They said they were unable to move, caught in the blizzard, and became exhausted. They were carrying food but could not eat because they were unable to open the tiffin boxes amid strong winds," he told PTI.
