By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Eight trekkers from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, who have gone missing since Oct 29-30 in the avalanche-hit Kedartal area of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, have not been found despite repeated rescue operations, top officials said on Sunday.
A helicopter conducted two rounds of aerial search over Kedartal. However, no clear visual clues, including tents belonging to the missing trekkers, could be spotted during the operation, the SDRF said in a statement.
The SDRF had earlier deployed its Gangotri team to conduct a reconnaissance of the area. However, heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions had made it difficult to proceed with the ground search operation, prompting the authorities to opt for an aerial survey.
An additional specialised team from the SDRF headquarters has now been dispatched with essential rescue and mountaineering equipment to strengthen the search operation. The team will proceed with the mission depending on weather and other conditions in the high-altitude region.
The SDRF is also coordinating with other agencies to chalk out the next course of action.
The operation is being conducted under the directions of SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi, who has deployed a specialised mountaineering team to locate the missing trekkers and their guide.
Earlier the officials had said the trekkers were stranded beyond Bhoj Kharak after an avalanche blocked the route. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Forest Department, the trekking agency concerned and the SDRF were involved in the search operation.
One of the stranded persons was reportedly injured, having sustained a head injury. The trekkers had requested evacuation by helicopter. The Disaster Management Department subsequently wrote to the concerned authorities seeking a helicopter for the rescue operation.
According to information available, a group 12 people comprising seven trekkers, one cook, one guide and three porters, had set out on the Kedartal trek on October 27. However, four persons including three porters and one cook were rescued but seven trekkers and a guide could not be located. The trekkers were scheduled to return on Oct 29.
List of missing trekkers:
Tapas Bauri (M,30), Ratan Ghosh (M, 23), Manoj Khovas (M, 39), Rintu Mandal (M, 40), Uday Ghosh (M,30) all belonging to Bankuda district in West Bengal, Vertika Verma (F, 28), Deepika Verma (F, 29) both from Lucknow, UP and Sidharth Rana (M, 25) a guide from Bhatwadi in Uttarkashi.