By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Rescuers on Wednesday recovered one more body from the high altitude Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand where a group of eight trekkers went missing in an avalanche last week, officials said.
With this, three bodies have been recovered so far from the high-altitude 4000 meter Kedartal trek in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand. On Tuesday, two bodies of a woman and a man were recovered.
The recovery of three bodies marks a tragic phase in the search operation, which had continued for days with specialised teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) battling difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions to trace the missing trekkers.
Efforts are on to trace the remaining five trekkers. officials said.
The development is likely to deepen the anguish of families in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, who have been waiting anxiously for any news about their missing relatives since they lost contact with the trekking group.
For these families, every update from the mountains had carried a glimmer of hope that their loved ones might still be found alive. The recovery of the two bodies has now brought the search effort face to face with a devastating possibility, even as rescuers continue their efforts to trace the remaining missing trekkers.
The missing group comprised seven trekkers from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and a local guide. Earlier, search teams had located tents and bags belonging to the group in the Kedartal region, raising hopes of finding clues about their whereabouts.
The operation has been particularly challenging because of the high altitude above 4000 meters, rugged mountain terrain and difficult weather conditions. Specialised personnel from SDRF and NIM have been involved in the search, undertaking arduous operations in one of Uttarakhand’s most difficult trekking regions.
While the recovery of the three bodies is a major development, the search for the remaining missing persons continues.