British tourist dies trekking with friend in Himalayas

A British tourist has tragically died while hiking with a friend in the Himalayan region of northern India. According to local emergency services, one of the two British men sustained critical injuries while trekking through "extremely difficult terrain" near the village of Thathri, close to Dharamshala.

Rescuers stated that the man was extracted and carried down the mountain on a stretcher, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital nearly 24 hours later. The British Foreign Office has stated that they are "providing support to the family of a British man who has died in India and are in contact with local authorities."

According to *The Times of India*, the pair were hiking the Triund route, a popular trail approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) long, situated in the foothills of the Dhauladhar mountains. The report stated that one of them fell while descending, and his friend sought assistance from a nearby village.

The Himachal Pradesh Disaster Response Forces stated on X that they received a distress call at 18:00 on Sunday and dispatched a 10-member team to ascend the mountain in search. The rescue team stated: "After a four-hour trek, the rescue team located the victims at 22:30, where one of the trekkers was found in critical condition. They secured the critically injured trekker onto a stretcher and began the challenging descent with his companion." Due to the rugged terrain and the need to cross several water bodies, progress was extremely slow, with just 100 meters taking nearly two hours.

The rescue team requested reinforcements overnight, and more rescuers arrived the following morning. They continued to transport the victim, facing extreme difficulties due to the steep terrain, requiring multiple anchor points for the stretcher. The man was finally transported to the hospital at 17:08 on Monday, but was pronounced dead upon arrival, while his friend was unharmed. The local government in the Kangra district has temporarily banned trekking in high-altitude areas, but *The Times of India* reports that the two tourists were unaware of this. They had reached the snow line – the part of the mountains that is permanently covered in snow. The identity of the deceased has not yet been formally confirmed.