/ Agencies:
A severe avalanche on the Kedartal trek in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, has devastated a family from Lucknow. Two sisters from Lucknow, Deepika Verma (29) and Vartika Verma (28), died after being buried in snow in the incident. On Wednesday, the rescue team recovered both bodies. When the bodies reached home on Thursday, the family was plunged into mourning.
The two sisters had left for Kedartal on October 27 with a 12-member trekking group. After heavy snowfall and the avalanche, eight members of the group went missing. The family alleges that the trekking agency did not provide information about the incident in time. Relatives came to know about the incident through social media on November 1, after which their brother Atul Verma reached Uttarkashi with other family members.
Shri Narayan Verma, the father who lost both daughters, levelled serious allegations of negligence against the trekking agency. He said Lucknow MP and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh helped during the crisis. Had his support not been available, they perhaps would not even have been able to see their daughters for the last time, he said. He also expressed gratitude to the Uttarkashi administration and the district magistrate.
The father said both daughters were extremely fond of mountains and trekking. They had earlier completed several difficult treks. The family has demanded that responsibility be fixed for the incident and that the role of the trekking agency be investigated.
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