A British tourist is believed to have died after falling off a cliff while trekking in India.
The tourist was walking with a friend in the Dhauladhar mountains in Himachal Pradesh, near the Himalayas, when he fell, according to local reports.
They were said to have been unaware of a local ban on high-altitude trekking in the winter season, police said.
The tourist is believed to have slipped during their descent from Triund, a small town, seriously injuring himself.
His friend trekked back down to seek help from police and locals. A team of rescuers were immediately dispatched, local media reports.
Tragically, the tourist succumbed to his injuries on Monday after being brought down the hill for medical treatment.
It took more than a day for rescuers to bring the tourist down the hill, given the tricky terrain.
File photo shows the Dhauladhar Mountain ranges, in Triund, Himachal Pradesh, India
Police officials said that the tourist’s friend had also been injured while trekking to the snowline in the Dhauladhar mountains.
They said that the pair had started their trek on Sunday morning, before the Brit ‘sustained rib injuries’ during the fall.
A team of 10 rescuers were dispatched around 6:30pm on Sunday, early evening.
Authorities later reported that the tourists were 4km further uphill in difficult terrain.
Police, rescue teams and the fire brigade reached the accident site late into the evening, local media reports.
According to The Tribune, it took four hours for rescuers to reach the tourist, who they found in ‘critical condition’.
The tourist was brought down on a stretcher, but terrain hindered the descent.
Officials said it took nearly two hours to cover just 100 metres.
A second team was dispatched to assist, reaching the original group at 8am on Monday.
By early afternoon, a third team had to be sent out to support, reaching the rescue site at 4pm.
The tourist was brought down to an ambulance just after 5pm, more than a day after the injury, and was tragically pronounced dead in hospital.
A FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in India and are in contact with the local authorities’.
