British tourist dies trekking with friend in Himalayas

A tragic incident occurred in the Himalaya mountains of northern India, where a British tourist lost his life while trekking with a friend. The two men were hiking in a region known for its challenging terrain near the village of Thathri in Dharamshala. Local emergency services reported that the conditions were extremely difficult. One of the men suffered a critical injury during their descent, prompting a rescue operation. Rescuers worked tirelessly to carry him down the mountain on a stretcher, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital nearly 24 hours later. The Foreign Office in the UK has stated that they are providing support to the family of the deceased and are in contact with local authorities regarding the situation. According to reports from the Times of India, the two tourists were hiking the Triund trek, a popular route that spans approximately 7 kilometers in the foothills of the Dhauladhar mountain range. They were making their way down when one of the men fell, and his friend rushed to seek assistance from a nearby village. The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force received a call for help at 6 PM on Sunday, and a team of ten rescuers was dispatched to locate the hikers. After four hours of trekking, they found the injured man at 10:30 PM, who was in critical condition. The rescuers secured him onto a stretcher and began the arduous descent alongside his friend. The rough terrain and the need to cross a small stream multiple times made their progress painfully slow, taking nearly two hours to cover just 100 meters. The two men had successfully reached Triund, a small hill station, and were on their way back down when the accident occurred. Overnight, the rescue team requested additional support, and more rescuers arrived in the morning to assist in transporting the victims. However, they faced significant challenges due to the steep landscape, requiring them to anchor the stretcher multiple times for safety. The injured man was finally taken to the hospital at 5:08 PM on Monday, but tragically, he was declared dead upon arrival. His friend emerged from the ordeal unharmed. Local authorities in Kangra district had imposed a temporary ban on trekking in high-altitude areas, but reports indicate that the two tourists were unaware of this restriction. They had reached the snowline, the area of the mountain where snow remains year-round. The identity of the deceased has not yet been officially confirmed.