DEHRADUN: As many as 34 persons- including seven instructors and 27 trainees from NIM Uttarkashi got trapped in an avalanche at Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak in Uttarakhand, out of eight were found to be safe while 10 were reported to be dead, while 16 others had gone missing and eight were found to be safe today.

At least 10 trainee mountaineers were confirmed to be dead, NIM sources said.  

As many as four bodies have been recovered from the debris so far in a joint IAF, NDRF- SDRF rescue operation launched today.   

The Dhami government has pressed into service the IAF helicopter to rescue the ill-fated trainee mountaineers, but due to snow in the higher reaches, operation was thwarted.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was concerned over the security of the trainees. NDRF teams and IAF helicopter are trying to rescue the unfortunate trainees, but bad weather had hit the operation to bring them back.

Uttarakhand Police said that out of 34 mountaineers at the Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak, eight are safe and efforts to rescue them are on.

But there is no trace of rest of the 18 young trainees in the snowslide incident that struck them today morning while they were around the Danda-II track, said the police sources.   

Led by seven instructors,  a team of 34 persons had set off from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering(NIM), Uttarkashi for training in mountaineering to the Draupadi Ka Danda II few days back.

Chief Minister has condoled the death of those killed in the incident and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.