Abishkar Upadhaya
Leh: A five-member rescue and search party of Ladakh UT Disaster Response Force (UTDRF), which had gone to search a missing Italian national on Hankar-Zangla route, itself got trapped at Tilat Sumdo in the gushing waters of a nallah and called for their evacuation.
According to sources, the search party comprising Insp. Tsewang Namgail, ASI Skarma Choldan, SgCt. Jigmet Songay, SgCt UrgyanTsering, ASI Skarma Choldan and Ct Lobzang Norboo had left through Chilling via Hanker towards Zangla, Zanskar on August 4, 2023 to search the missing Italian national namely David Marcella.
“Incharge of the team informed the UTDRF Hqrs from satellite his phone that they were struck at Tilat Sumdo due to overflow of water in the Nallah and their food stuffs also got washed away and they were unable to cross the nallah and struck up there,” sources said. Thereafter, the district administration requisitioned Indian Air Force (IAF) which successfully evacuated the search and rescue party from Tilat Sumdo.
However, sources claimed that a video had surfaced from a place called Charchara in which a dead body was seen lying in a deep gorge which might be of the missing Italian national.
Meanwhile, the police parties for rescue mission and recovery of dead body will be sent tomorrow. The identification of the body can be done once the teams reach the spot, the sources divulged.
Pertinently, the Italian national went on a solo trekking expedition on Hankar-Zangla route and been missing since July 22, 2023. He was last seen near Hankar by a local lady. She had informed Police about his missing.
