# Fifth Body Recovered in Uttarakhand Kedartal Trek Tragedy, Grieving Father Blames Tour Company and Rescue Team > The death toll in the Kedartal trek disaster in Uttarkashi rose to five after another body was recovered on the seventh day of the search, while the father of two deceased sisters has accused the tour company of failing to rescue them in time. **Type:** article · **Category:** Uttarakhand · **Published:** 2026-11-05 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/uttarakhand/uttarakhand-ke-kedartal-hadase-men-panchavan-shava-baramada-lapata-betiyon-ke-pita-ne-rescue-aura-tour-knpani-para-uthae-gnbhira-s-56946 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Uttarkashi, Kedartal, Uttarakhand, Avalanche, Trekking Accident, Rescue Operation The search and rescue operation for the missing trekking group on the Kedartal track in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, entered its seventh day with rescue teams intensifying their efforts. On Thursday, rescue personnel recovered yet another body from the treacherous terrain, taking the total death toll from the disaster to five. Meanwhile, search operations for the remaining missing individuals are continuing at full throttle. According to reports issued by the district emergency operation center, three bodies were airlifted to the Matli helipad by helicopter on November 4. Another body was brought from Kedartal to Matli later in the afternoon. Following their retrieval, all the recovered bodies were shifted to the district hospital in Uttarkashi for formal identification and further procedures. ## Identification of Victims and Ongoing Search Among those who lost their lives are two sisters hailing from Lucknow. The deceased were identified by their grieving family members at the district hospital as 28-year-old Vartika Verma and 29-year-old Deepika Verma. The identification process for the remaining bodies is currently underway. Reports indicate that a total of eight people, comprising seven trekkers and one guide, went missing on the Kedartal trail after being caught in heavy snowfall and a sudden avalanche. So far, four bodies of trekkers have been recovered, while search efforts for the remaining missing persons are actively ongoing. ## Administrative Monitoring and Family Accusations The local administration confirmed that search and rescue operations will continue on November 5, with the district magistrate personally supervising the entire mission. However, the tragedy has taken a painful turn as the father of Deepika and Vartika levelled serious allegations against the tour organizing company, claiming that they failed to airlift his daughters in time and prioritized their own staff instead. ## Background of the Bereaved Family According to the grieving father, the company rescued its own employees first while both sisters kept pleading for help to be airlifted. This heart-wrenching detail was reportedly shared with Deepika's brother Atul by the company employees who were rescued by air. Shrinarayan Verma, originally a resident of Sarai Pandey in Barabanki, lives in Gayatripuram, Guramba, along with his wife Usha, daughters Deepika and Vartika, and son Atul. Shrinarayan retired as a worker from the agriculture department about a year ago. He shared that his elder daughter Deepika worked for a Mumbai-based company and was currently staying at their Lucknow home due to a work-from-home arrangement, a routine that tragically ended with this fateful expedition. ## What this means for you The tragic Kedartal trekking accident and the ongoing rescue operations in the mountainous terrain of Uttarkashi carry significant implications for adventure tourists and safety guidelines in high-altitude regions. - **In Uttarakhand:** The local administration has enforced stricter weather monitoring and safety compliance along mountain tracks. Consequently, tourists planning treks in Kedartal or similar routes will face mandatory adherence to updated safety regulations. - **Across India:** Adventure clubs and tour operating companies nationwide are facing heightened scrutiny regarding their emergency response protocols and airlifting capabilities. This incident is expected to drive stricter accountability and quicker emergency interventions for future expeditions. ## Why this happened The disaster on the Kedartal track in Uttarkashi was triggered by sudden extreme weather conditions and a natural hazard, while subsequent rescue challenges complicated the crisis. - **Severe Weather and Avalanche:** The trekking group became trapped after heavy snowfall and a sudden avalanche struck the high-altitude Kedartal trail, cutting off safe passage. - **Challenging Terrain:** The extreme altitude and rugged geographical features of the region significantly delayed the deployment of ground rescue teams and helicopter operations. - **Delayed Evacuation Claims:** The grieving family alleged that the tour company prioritized evacuating its own staff first during the emergency, depriving the stranded sisters of timely airlift assistance. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. How did the accident happen on the Kedartal track? A total of eight people, including seven trekkers and a guide, went missing after being caught in heavy snowfall and an avalanche on the Kedartal trail. ### 2. How many bodies have been recovered so far? The death toll in the disaster reached five after another body was recovered during the seventh day of rescue operations. ### 3. Where were the deceased sisters from? The two sisters who lost their lives in the tragedy, Vartika Verma and Deepika Verma, were residents of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. ### 4. What allegations did the family level against the tour company? The father of the sisters alleged that the tour company failed to airlift his daughters in time and instead evacuated its own staff first. ### 5. When will the search for the remaining missing persons resume? According to the administration, search and rescue operations for the remaining four missing individuals will continue on November 5. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. 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