Following the deaths, an FIR was registered at the Maneri police station in Uttarkashi against the local tour operator under Sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.

Speaking about the probe, Arpan Yadhuvanshi, Superintendent of Police, Uttarkashi, told the Indian Express, “We have found that the tour operator did not conduct thorough health checkups of the trekkers… most of the trekkers were aged above 45 years… We also found that no guides accompanied the trekkers at the peak; they were instead in the advanced base camp. They also failed to read the weather conditions… We need to investigate further to understand the extent of negligence that led to the tragedy.”

Seven of the nine deceased trekkers were aged over 45 years. The oldest one was Asha Sudhakar, 71, while the youngest was Padmini Hegde, 34. Asha Sudhakar was the wife of S Sudhakar, the program coordinator of the Sahastra Tal trek and joint secretary of the KMA.

Some from the trekking community also argued that the tragedy could have been avoided if the trekkers had been provided with adequate resources and the organizers fulfilled the ‘guide:guest ratio for above 12,000 feet’.

Anand Shankar, a Bengaluru resident and an avid trekker, said, “Altitudes between 14,000-16,000 ft can see snowfall and major hail storms till the onset of monsoon… This is why local shepherds venture above 14,000 feet only after monsoon begins in the first week. of July. I lead treks in these altitudes and follow the shepherd calendar – only between July 1st week to the end of September. It’s a tried and trusted calendar over generations. Traditional knowledge rules in the mountains,” said Shankar in a social media post.

He added that the “guide:guest ratio should be in check with one guide plus one helper for every three guests to ensure guests can be attended to in an emergency.”

“Ideally the number of guests for altitude above 12,000 feet should be capped at 12. But in this case, there were 22,” Shankar further said.

Satheesan, a cousin of one of the victims, claimed the lack of instructions from the organizers might have led to the tragic incident.

He said, “It needs to be checked whether proper instructions on what to carry for a trek were given to the trekkers. Also, it needs to be clarified whether all the members of the trekking team were aware of the safety measures needed to be taken in the event of an adverse weather event like a blizzard.”

Satheesan added, “I heard that many trekkers took shelter under a rock. It is not clear whether everyone was aware of what to do when such an unexpected event occurred. We want the government to issue proper safety guidelines for trekking…”

Another trekker from Bengaluru who did not wish to be named said, “The guides in this case should not have separated. Treks don’t work like that. Ideally, there should be a lead guide and a sweep guide to ensure a coordinated approach to the entire trekking process. They should have been advised about the right diet to ensure their body temperature was warm. I believe all these aspects were neglected.”

However, S Srivatsa, Secretary, KMA, claimed that all the trekkers were “medically fit and briefed thoroughly” ahead of the trek.

“In the run-up to any trekking expedition, we thoroughly check the medical conditions of the trekkers. We also brief them fully about the terrain, challenges, and the dos and don’ts during the trek. All were medically fit to go on the trek as per the health check-up. However, unpredictable and harsh climatic conditions led to hypothermia and eventually the deaths,” said Srivatsa.

Justifying the group strength shooting up to 22, Srivatsa said, “All the 22 trekkers came with rich experience in the mountains. Naturally, they become eligible for such challenging treks.”

Responding to allegations of negligence against the local tour operator, Srivatsa said, “They are the most experienced tour operators and we have been working with them for the past 10 years. We are ready to cooperate with the probe.”