more-in Mumbai: A Badlapur resident who went on a trek from Har Ki Doon to Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh died last week while facing adverse weather during the trip. While his fellow trekkers claimed he died on June 13, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) claimed he was dead by the time their team reached the spot. According to ITBP officials, Harshad Apte (33) was part of a 23-member group, comprising 13 trekkers and 10 porters, that had set out on the trek in Himachal Pradesh on June 9 this year. They said the group was on its way back from Chitkul to the base camp in HP when Apte fell unconscious near Borasu La pass. Vivek Pandey, PRO, ITBP, said, “Three porters with the group had left Borasu La pass on the evening of June 12 and contacted our officials in HP. We sent a team of 50 personnel, followed by 20 more, to rescue the group. Apte had passed away on the night of June 12; our team reached on June 13.” Prasad Narsale, a Maharashtra resident who was part of the trek,said Apte died on June 13. Apte was a resident of Gandhi Chowk in Badlapur. Two relatives were waiting at the base camp in HP when the rescue team arrived with his body on June 15. It was subsequently handed over to his family on June 15, and he was cremated in his hometown on Sunday. Mr. Pandey said, “After the rescue team had provided the rest of the group with medication and blankets, we sent a team to where Apte’s body was. It had been covered with blankets by the other trekkers. They had tried to carry him down with them to their shelter, but were unable to do so. It was a 36-hour journey till there and back.” Sanjay Sethi, a Faridabad, Haryana resident who participated in the trek, said, “The snow and winds were terrible at the Borasu La point. One of our co-travellers losing his life because of the weather was devastating. He collapsed as we were walking. He apparently had some breathing problems. We tried our best to help him.”

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