A trekking expedition in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district turned tragic when a lightning strike amid severe weather conditions claimed the life of a young trekker and left another seriously injured, officials from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said. The incident occurred in the Tungnath-Chandrashila region, where heavy rainfall, strong winds, and thunderstorms lashed the area. Following reports of the accident, rescue teams were immediately mobilised despite the challenging terrain and adverse weather.

According to officials, the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) in Dehradun alerted the SDRF on May 29 that a group of trekkers had become stranded near Tungnath due to deteriorating weather. Authorities were also informed that multiple individuals had been affected by a lightning strike. An SDRF rescue team from Ratuda, led by Sub-Inspector Santosh Parihar and operating under the supervision of Inspector Aniruddh Bhandari, was dispatched with specialised rescue equipment to carry out the operation.

During the rescue efforts, one critically injured trekker was evacuated by emergency responders and transported to a nearby hospital in a 108 ambulance for treatment. Two other members of the group were reported safe. However, 19-year-old Abhinav Vajpayee, a resident of Lucknow and son of Sanjeet Kumar, died at the scene after being struck by lightning.

Despite difficult weather conditions and a demanding mountain route stretching nearly 8 to 10 kilometres, SDRF personnel trekked from Chopta towards Chandrashila to reach the site. The team arrived late at night, around 11 PM, recovered the victim's body, and carefully transported it back to Chopta through the rugged terrain. The incident once again highlights the risks posed by sudden weather changes in Uttarakhand's high-altitude regions, particularly during the pilgrimage and trekking season.

Earlier this month, helicopter services to Kedarnath were also affected by unstable weather conditions. Authorities and helicopter operators temporarily halted flight operations on multiple occasions as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger safety. Pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath were advised to stay updated through official channels and cooperate with authorities, as unpredictable weather in the valley continues to impact transportation services, especially during afternoon hours.