Three mountaineers, including a British national, have been killed in a landslide at Manali. Preliminary reports said that the deceased were stuck in the snowstorm which hit the hills last evening.
The tragedy occurred last night in an area beyond Beas Kund when a nine-member mountaineering team from Britain, along with a group of Indians, were returning after scaling the Shitidhar peak.
British national Alan Maxwell Slater, an official of a Delhi-based company and Sanjay Kumar from Palampur were killed in the landslide, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Rakesh Kanwar said.
Rescue teams from Mountaineering Institute, Manali were rushed to the spot, located at six-hour trekking distance from road. Bodies of Lotus (hailed from Ladhak of Jammu and Kashmir), Alan Maxwell Slater and the company official have been recovered while the body of Sanjay Kumar is yet to be traced.
However, the nine members of the British expedition and others accompanying them were safe and on their way back to Manali,” he added.
The place is not connected by road and there is no mobile phone network also. More details about the incident would be known after the rescue teams and other members of British team returns, Mr. Kanwar said.
The area is in the grip of severe cold wave and mercury is hovering around freezing point after moderate snowfall in higher reaches in tribal areas.
He said rescue teams were fishing out the third mountaineer who is said to be an Indian.