HYDERABAD: The body of Vamsheedhar Reddy, a 28-year-old software engineer, who was killed in an avalanche in Uttarakhand, arrived at the Shamshabad airport around 5 pm and was taken to his hometown of Kalvakunta in Sangareddy mandal, Medak district.
He was one of the 24 mountaineers, enrolled in the advanced mountaineering course at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, who were killed in an avalanche at Draupadi Ka Danda-II peak
The avalanche occurred while the team was returning after summiting the Draupadi Ka Danda-II which rises to 5,670 m (17,000 feet).
Vamsheedhar, a mountaineering and trekking enthusiast, had enrolled with the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering's the 28-day course.
His father Srinivas Reddy remembered Vamsheedhar Reddy as an adventurous and motivated young man who pushed himself to the limit.
Srinivas Reddy recalled that Vamseedhar Reddy was always interested in sports and adventurous activities as a child and wanted to get an ‘A’ in whatever he participated. “My son paid the price for being adventurous. I asked the institute why the course was held in the rainy and winter season, which was risky and life-threatening. The institute merely stated that they had been running this course in the same way for 55 years, and there was no problem. They did, however, state that they will be extra cautious from now on,” said a distraught Srinivas Reddy.
The father said Vamsheedhar Reddy had intended to marry after completing the mountaineering course.
Jaivardhan Reddy, Vamsheedhar's 26-year-old brother, is also a software engineer and was devastated by his sibling’s death.
According to the institute's officials, a group of 34 mountaineers and seven trainers were caught in the avalanche while returning from the mountain at 8.45 am on October 4.
"On the mountain, two trainers and 24 trainees were killed. Two trainees are still missing, and the search has been ongoing. One more body has been discovered but has yet to be identified. They became trapped in the ice flash flood, which caused cracks in the mountain where they died. It happened was a natural disaster," said an institute official.
