17 Trekkers Rescued By Indian Army In Jammu & Kashmir; Tourist Guide Drowns In High-Altitude Lake

The Indian Army on Thursday evacuated at least 17 trekkers who were on a seven-lake trek in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the army press release, these trekkers were stranded on the trek due to bad weather and severe snowfall near Vishansar lake.

"Indian Army's Displaced Equipment Team located at Sonamarg successfully evacuated 17 trekkers, who were on a famous Seven Lake trek and were stranded due to bad weather and severe snowfall near Vishan Sar," the army press release read.

Indian Army successfully evacuated 17 trekkers, who were on Seven Lake trek & were stranded due to bad weather. After a long 12 hrs of patrolling in a difficult terrain the patrol could safely evacuate all tourists. The trekkers were thankful to the Army.#IndianArmyforCitizens pic.twitter.com/K0AqPWTJBb

— Kashmir Diaries (@ToofaniBaba1) June 23, 2022

The army rescued these trekkers after more than 12 hours of patrolling in the terrain and brought them to the Army camp.

"After more than 12 hours of patrolling in difficult terrain, the army team could safely evacuate all tourists and bring them back to the Army camp. The rescued trekkers were thankful to the rescue team, especially the Indian Army," it read.

Tourist guide drowns

A tourist guide drowned while a trekker from Uttarakhand is reported missing from the Tarsar Lake area in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said on Thursday.

"Tourist guide Shakeel Ahmad, a resident of Ganderbal district, drowned in the Tarsar Lake on Wednesday. His body was fished out on Thursday," an official said in Srinagar.

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The officials said a trekker from Uttarakhand was also feared dead after he slipped into the waterbody during heavy rainfall on Wednesday.

A group of 11 trekkers from various states, accompanied by three local guides, had set on an expedition before heavy rainfall swept the Kashmir valley on June 19.

Ten tourists and two local guides have been rescued while efforts are on to trace the missing tourist, the officials said.

Meanwhile, seven tourists were rescued by locals from Dal Lake in Kashmir after their houseboat started to sink on Thursday morning.