Tour operator that undertook Uttarkashi trek, where 9 from Bangalore died, booked
After the tragic deaths of nine individuals during a trek to Uttarakhand’s Malla-Silla-Kushkalyan-Sahastratal, the responsible tour operator has been directed to halt commercial trekking operations temporarily. The operator is also facing charges of negligence.
The Uttarkashi administration, in a statement released on Friday, indicated that the Himalayan View Adventure Company was preliminarily deemed negligent in the incident for disregarding the safety protocols established for trekker protection.
“The Himalayan View Trekking Agency has been ordered to cease commercial trekking activities until further notice,” the announcement read.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed under IPC sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) against the trekking agency’s owner, with the investigation still underway, the statement added.
Earlier this week, the company reported that a 22-member trekking team, which included 18 people from Karnataka, one from Maharashtra, and three local guides, lost their way during the Malla-Silla-Kushkalyan-Sahastratal trek on May 29 due to bad weather.
The bodies of nine trekkers have been recovered, and 13 trekkers were rescued.
In response to the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed a magisterial inquiry. The investigation will be led by Garhwal divisional commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey.