5 Rajasthan trekkers missing on Himachals Bara Bhangal route, untraceable for over 24 hours - The Tribune

5 Rajasthan trekkers missing on Himachal's Bara Bhangal route, untraceable for over 24 hours

The Baijnath and Bharmour administrations are coordinating the search operation

Five trekkers from Rajasthan have gone missing while attempting to cross the treacherous Thamsar Pass on the Bara Bhangal trekking route amid heavy snowfall and deteriorating weather conditions.

The trekkers have been identified as Ankur Malani, Satyam Sabu, Pawan, Shyam R and Tarun Rathi, all aged between 28 and 35 years. They reportedly began their trek from Bir towards Rajgundha on October 5, with plans to cross the Thamsar Pass, reach the remote Bara Bhangal area and subsequently proceed towards Bharmour in Chamba district.

Their contact has remained lost for more than 24 hours, raising concern among their families and prompting the administration to launch efforts to trace them. The Baijnath and Bharmour administrations are coordinating the search operation, with Baijnath SDM Sankalp Gautam confirming that teams were being mobilised to locate the trekkers.

The situation has become particularly challenging due to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches during the past two days. The Thamsar Pass, situated at an altitude of around 4,700 metres, is one of the most difficult stretches on the route connecting the Bir-Rajgundha side of Kangra with the remote Bara Bhangal region.

Poor visibility, heavy snow, rugged terrain and lack of reliable communication facilities in the higher reaches are hampering the search efforts. Officials are of the opinion that the trekkers may have taken shelter at some point along the route due to the worsening weather conditions.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggested that the trekkers' had been traced near Dhardi village in the Bara Bhangal area. There were also reports that the group was moving towards Holi in Chamba district. However, officials were yet to officially confirm the safe location and status of all five trekkers.

The incident has once again highlighted the risks involved in trekking through the high-altitude routes of Kangra and Chamba during adverse weather conditions.

The Kangra administration had earlier established check posts at 10 trekking-route entry points and made registration of trekkers mandatory following incidents of trekkers going missing in the higher reaches. The latest incident has raised questions about compliance with the registration and monitoring mechanism, particularly on remote routes leading to Bara Bhangal.

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