ITBP rescues 11 people stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), along with the army and civil administration, has rescued 11 people stranded at the high mountain range at approximately 18,000 feet in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.

As per a statement released by ITBP on Wednesday, a joint team of the ITBP, army and civil administration had been launched on Tuesday from Kaza for a rescue mission towards the higher reaches of Manali-Khamengar Pass- Manirang in Lahaul-Spiti Himachal Pradesh.

"A team of mountaineers from West Bengal and local porters were reportedly stranded at the high mountain range at approximately 18,000 feet. 14 members of the team including three trekkers and 11 porters were stranded at the site," read the statement.

"Four mountaineers and seven porters were brought down from Dhar Thango to Ka village escorted by ITBP and further taken to Kaza and handed over to Kaza administration in the presence of SDM and ADM Kaza, Himachal Pradesh. All are now kept under observation in Kaza hospital. One mountaineer and one porter have mild symptoms of frostbite," it added.

The statement further informed that the remaining four porters have also been traced at the glacier point and two dead bodies are being carried by the ITBP men on stretchers on foot to the base camp.

The trekking expedition started from Manali on September 17. On September 25, while the team was passing down from Khamenger Pass, two members- both from West Bengal- died due to mountain sickness.

( With inputs from ANI )