How many people are missing on the Kedartal trek?

Eight people remain missing: seven trekkers and a local guide, according to India Today and The Indian Express. Four others from the same party (three porters and a cook) were found safe near Kachi Dhang on 31 October 2026.

Who are the missing Kedartal trekkers?

India Today identified the missing trekkers as Tapas Bauri (30), Ratan Ghosh (23), Manoj Khovas (39), Rintu Mandal (40), Uday Ghosh (30), Vartika Verma (28) and Deepika Verma (29). The missing guide is Siddharth Rana, 25, of Utaron village in Uttarkashi. India Today said five are from West Bengal and two from Uttar Pradesh.

When did the Kedartal group leave and when were they due back?

The Indian Express reported that the party set out from Gangotri on 27 October 2026 on a three-day expedition permitted on 26 October, and was expected back by 29 October. India Today likewise said the group left on 27 October and was scheduled to return on 29 October.

Why was the Kedartal rescue suspended?

India Today, citing the District Emergency Operations Centre, said the operation was suspended on Monday evening because of deteriorating weather and heavy snowfall, with teams stationed at base camps. Avalanches along the route have repeatedly blocked ground access.

Where is Kedartal and how hard is the trek?

Kedartal is a high-altitude trek route out of the Gangotri area in Uttarkashi. Mayank Garg, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, told The Indian Express that the Kedartal route sees far fewer trekkers than the Gomukh route, which accounts for about 95 percent of visitors, so monitoring on Kedartal is less frequent.

Kedartal Trek: Eight Missing in Uttarkashi as Snow and Avalanches Halt Rescue, Explained

Q: What have rescuers found so far?

On Monday, 2 November 2026, search teams found a tent and bags near the Kedarkadak or Kachi Dhang area, Uttarakhand SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told The Indian Express. They did not find any of the missing people. Aerial reconnaissance the same day also yielded no further leads, he said.

Eight people from a trekking party that left Gangotri for Kedartal are still missing in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district. Rescue teams working through avalanche debris and fresh snow found a tent and bags on Monday, 2 November 2026, but not the people. Bad weather then forced the search to pause.

The story is still open. What follows is what officials and reporters have confirmed so far, and what remains unknown.

The 60-second version

Missing: Eight people (seven trekkers and a local guide).
Found earlier: Four support staff (three porters and a cook) near Kachi Dhang on 31 October.
Left: 27 October 2026 from Gangotri; due back 29 October.
Alert: Weather warning reached authorities mid-morning on 27 October, after the group was already on the route.
Monday find: Tent and belongings near Kedarkadak / Kachi Dhang; no missing persons located.
Status now: Search suspended Monday evening for snowfall and adverse weather; teams at base camps.
Agencies: SDRF, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Gangotri National Park staff and others.

Who went missing

India Today named the missing as:

Name	Age	Notes (as reported)
Tapas Bauri	30	Trekker
Ratan Ghosh	23	Trekker
Manoj Khovas	39	Trekker
Rintu Mandal	40	Trekker
Uday Ghosh	30	Trekker
Vartika Verma	28	Trekker
Deepika Verma	29	Trekker
Siddharth Rana	25	Local guide, Utaron village, Uttarkashi

India Today said five of the trekkers are from West Bengal and two from Uttar Pradesh. The Indian Express likewise described five trekkers from West Bengal, two women from Uttar Pradesh, and a 25-year-old local guide from Uttarkashi among the eight still missing.

How the party was put together

Reporting differs slightly on the full headcount, so both accounts are set out here.

The Indian Express described a 12-member party: seven trekkers, a guide, a cook and three porters. Permission for a three-day expedition was granted on 26 October. The group left Gangotri on 27 October and was expected back by 29 October.

India Today described a group of 13 people (seven trekkers and six support staff) on the same dates. Both outlets agree that four support staff (three porters and a cook) were later found safe, and that eight people remain missing. The one-person gap in the starting total has not been reconciled in the reports used here.

Timeline of the emergency

27 October. The group entered the Kedartal route. Mayank Garg, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park, told The Indian Express that a weather alert arrived around 10:30-11:00 am, warning of adverse conditions expected on 29 October. By then the team was already on the trail, and officials could not reach them with the warning.

29 October. The expected return date. The group did not come back on schedule.

30 October. Authorities learned members were trapped by heavy snowfall and avalanches in the Kedartal region, The Indian Express reported. India Today said the trekkers contacted their trekking agency by phone that day, saying they were stranded near Kachi Dhang and needed help. The agency then sent porters and guides to clear the route.

31 October. Four support staff (three porters and a cook) were rescued near Kachi Dhang, below the avalanche-affected stretch. A five-member SDRF team searched as far as Bhoj Kharak the same day and found no trace of the remaining eight, The Indian Express reported. An avalanche near Bhojkhadak further blocked access, according to India Today.

Weekend aerial sorties. India Today said a helicopter from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), carrying an SDRF team, flew three aerial reconnaissance sorties over the weekend. A specialised NDRF team with four members of the trekking agency also tried to reach the site on foot but was stopped by snowfall and terrain.

Monday, 2 November. A 10-member Mountain Rescue Team (six SDRF, four NIM) was airlifted into the Kedartal valley. A separate nine-member team from Gangotri National Park and the Trekking Association searched from Bhojkhadak toward Kedarkharak. Teams found a tent and a backpack or bags in the Kachi Dhang / Kedarkadak area. SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told The Indian Express: "There was a search today. We found tents and their belongings there, but we did not find anyone." Aerial reconnaissance that day also brought no further leads, he said.

Monday evening. The District Emergency Operations Centre said the operation was suspended because of deteriorating weather, India Today reported. Teams stayed at base camps. The district administration said families of all eight missing people had been informed.

Why the ground is so hard

Garg told The Indian Express that the avalanche-hit stretch near Sukhi Dhang is about 11-12 km on foot from the entry point, or about 5.5-6 km in a straight aerial line. Information with the department pointed to avalanches at around 10-12 locations along the route. Earlier foot attempts had to turn back when teams hit avalanche debris.

Kedartal also sees less traffic than the better-known Gomukh route. Garg said Gomukh accounts for about 95 percent of visitors in the area, so monitoring on Kedartal is less frequent.

What is still unknown

The location and condition of the eight missing people.
Whether the tent and bags found on Monday belonged to them, and when they were last used.
When weather will allow the search to resume.
A reconciled figure for the original party size (12 in The Indian Express, 13 in India Today).

Nothing in the reports used here states that the missing have been found, injured or confirmed dead. Treat social-media claims that go beyond official statements as unverified.

What to watch next

Weather windows that let SDRF and NIM restart ground and air search from the Kachi Dhang base.
Identification of the tent and bags found on 2 November.
Any contact from the missing party, or a confirmed sighting on a later sortie.
District and SDRF briefings once operations resume.
Questions about trek permissions and weather alerts, including how warnings reach parties already on less-monitored routes such as Kedartal.

Eight people are still missing above Gangotri. Rescuers have recovered gear, not the group, and snow has stopped the search for now.

First published on 3 November 2026 from reports by The Indian Express (updated 3 November 2026, 4:46 am IST) and India Today (2 November 2026), including quotes from SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi and Gangotri National Park Deputy Director Mayank Garg. Party-size figures differ between those outlets and are attributed above. Conditions in the mountains change quickly; follow official Uttarakhand administration and SDRF updates.