Four tourists from Uttar Pradesh were safely rescued in Ladakh after going missing for five days during a trip to Pangong Lake. The group—Yash Mittal, Shivam Chaudhary, Jaiveer Chaudhary, and Shadanshu Faujdar, all residents of Agra—lost contact with their families, prompting immediate concern and a large-scale search operation by local police authorities.

The tourists had driven to Pangong Lake in their private vehicle on January 9. While returning towards Leh, they mistakenly took the Leh-Manali road, which remains closed due to heavy snowfall. This navigational error led them into a remote and treacherous stretch of the high-altitude terrain, where extreme weather conditions quickly deteriorated their situation.

A coordinated rescue effort was launched swiftly after the families reported them missing. Police teams traced the last known location of the tourists towards Sarchu, where they discovered the abandoned vehicle involved in a minor roadside accident. The search was subsequently expanded to nearby areas, including Debring and Whisky Nalla, leading to the critical breakthrough.

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The four men were eventually located inside a hut approximately 20 kilometres from their vehicle. They had managed to survive two nights in the car using its heating system until the fuel was exhausted, after which they sought shelter in the abandoned structure. Exposed to sub-zero temperatures for several days, the tourists endured harsh conditions with limited resources before being found.

All four individuals were found in stable health upon rescue and received immediate assistance, including food, water, and medical attention. Authorities confirmed they would be safely transported back to Leh, where they are expected to be reunited with their families on Wednesday. The successful operation underscores the effectiveness of rapid response in remote Himalayan regions during winter.

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