Five ITBP teams launch search operations for missing trekkers in Kullu

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As many as five teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), equipped with mountaineering equipments and medical aid, have launched search operations for the seven missing trekkers in the Chandrakhani Pass.

"Yesterday, the local ITBP unit of Kullu was approached by the district administration for conducting search and rescue operation. It was reported that seven trekkers and one guide from Sangrur were trekking and are missing," ITBP PRO Vivek Pandey told ANI.

"We have deployed ITBP personnel to conduct search and rescue operation from yesterday. As of now, we have five teams having mountaineering equipments and medical aid from different direction to Chandrakani Pass through the land route. With the help of certain satellite images, we have been given certain specific area where trekkers are believed to have been stranded," he added.

He further stated it has been very difficult to track the stranded victims due to the continuous snowfall.

"We have found some foot prints, we will get necessary information by today evening," he said.

The trekkers, who are final year BTech students of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) in Longowal, were on a private trip when the disaster struck.

However, the rescue operations are facing severe hurdles due to the bad weather being caused by heavy rain in the region.