Uttarkashi: The bodies of three porters, who had accompanied an ITBP team on a long-distance patrol along the India-China Nilapani International Border were recovered on Thursday. The bodies of the porters were found buried under snow at the border, one and a half kilometers away from the Nila Pani post of ITBP.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Singh (24), Rajendra Singh (25), Dinesh Chauhan (23). They belong to Nald village, Siror village and Pata village in Uttarkashi respectively.
The porters lost their way due to snowfall and got separated from the ITBP team on October 17, officials said.
ITBP Matli 12 Battalion Commandant Abhijit Samaiyar confirmed the death of the porters, saying they were buried under snow. Their mortal remains will be handed over to their kin.
According to an official from the Disaster Management Department, they were supposed to reach the ITBP post at Neelapani on Monday but due to snowfall on mountain peaks, they did not return even on the next day.
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The ITBP team had launched a rescue operation on 18 and 19 October to trace the porters. Another five porters were also sent to find them, but the three could not be traced. After that ITBP sought help for heli rescue from the State Disaster Management Department late on Tuesday evening, but the disaster management did not have helicopters that can carry out rescue operations at such high altitude ranges.
Jai Panwar, a consultant of Disaster Management Department Uttarkashi said that the porters were residents of Uttarkashi, and were hired by the ITBP from a local agency, for assisting ITBP's LRP patrol team along the border.
On October 15, the three porters along with the patrolling team of ITBP had left for the international border.
