‘Survivors sat by bodies of deceased for 36 hours’

Bengaluru: 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 said. Later, from the lower camp, a guide and other mountaineers sent two more tents with sleeping bags and a cook managed to give them some hot water, he said while narrating the sequence of events post-tragedy.

“With that help, the (rest of them) survived. Otherwise, they would have also collapsed,” he added.

Among those who lost their lives was 71-year-old Asha Sudhakar, a KMA member for over three decades and one of the oldest women trekkers from the state. The group comprised physically fit, experienced trekkers in the age group of 34 to 71, Srivatsa said. “This tragedy happened only due to this fatal bad weather.”