Vartika
Deepika Vartika Deepika Vartika Lucknow: Two sisters from Lucknow, Vartika Verma, 28, and Deepika Verma, 29, were among three more trekkers whose bodies were recovered during a search operation on Wednesday, taking the death toll in the Kedartal avalanche tragedy in Uttarkashi to six. The sisters, residents of Gudamba, were missing since an avalanche struck their trekking group while they were climbing towards Kedartal at an altitude of around 10,000 feet. The sisters had begun their Kedartal trek from Gangotri on Oct 27 along with seven other trekkers and five support staff members. The three-day expedition was scheduled to conclude on Oct 29. On Oct 30, some members of the trekking group informed the trekking agency that they were stranded near Kachcha Dhang and sought assistance. A rescue operation was launched and four members of the support team were evacuated on Oct 31. Girls’ father Shri Narayan Verma told TOI that they had been going on trekking expeditions for the past 10 years.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Their bodies were found buried beneath snow. Vartika and Deepika were regular trekkers and had undertaken several expeditions across India and Nepal. They had returned from a trip to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib barely two months ago. Deepika was a graphic designer in a private company While Vartika worked as a freelance influencer. However, heavy snowfall and deteriorating weather conditions triggered an avalanche, blocking the return route and leaving eight members of the group stranded in the mountains. The sisters’ brother, Atul Verma, travelled to Uttarkashi with other family members to look for them. He claimed that the family did not receive information about the incident from the trekking agency and learnt about the tragedy through social media reports. The family has raised questions about the agency’s handling of the expedition, alleging that the trek was conducted despite adverse weather conditions and that the relatives were not informed promptly after the group went missing. Download the TOI App.
Around a year earlier, they had also trekked to Kedarkantha in Uttarkashi’s Mori region along with their brother Atul Verma and friends. Their body will arrive in Lucknow on Thursday.