Only one of three Russians missing in Himalayas rescued

Two of the three Russians trapped in India`s Himalayas have died in heavy snow, and one has been rescued, a senior official in the state of Uttarakhand said on Thursday.

The rescued Russian has been taken to Joshimath in northern India by helicopter.

One of the two bodies is still in the mountains, and the other has already been transported to Joshimath.

A team of ten Russians set off on a 92-kilometer (57 miles) high-altitude trek from Gangotri to Badrinath in the northern state of Uttarakhand on September 27. Three of them failed to reach their final destination as they became trapped in the mountains in heavy snow.

Traveling along the Indian-Chinese border has been banned since the end of September due to the poor weather.

Earlier on Wednesday local authorities said the Russians could face charges for traveling in the area without permission. Under Indian legislation, the maximum punishment for the offense is a fine or five years in prison.

This is the second incident involving Russians on this particular trek in India.

At the end of September four Russians from St. Petersburg got stranded in heavy snow in the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,480 meters (14,700 feet), they were later evacuated by helicopter.

A group of Russian canoeists went missing in China`s Yurungkax River in early September. A month later three of the team were found dead, two survived, and the sixth Russian is still missing.

sections: Accidents