NIM Uttarakhand 2022 — avalanche kills 27 mountaineers

On 4 October 2022, an avalanche struck Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak in Uttarakhand’s Gangotri region, hitting a group of mountaineers from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). The team of 34 trainees and 7 instructors was returning from an ascent when the slide occurred at around 5,670 m.

Rescue operations later recovered 27 bodies, making it the deadliest mountaineering accident in India’s recorded history. Two climbers were initially reported missing.

Among those killed was Savita Kanswal, who had earlier summited Everest and Makalu within 15 days. The incident highlighted how objective hazards like avalanches can strike even trained teams, especially during descent.