Dehradun, Nov. 1 -- The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) launched intensive ground and aerial search operations on Sunday to locate seven trekkers and one guide who have gone missing in the Kedartal region of Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district.

On the instructions of SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi, a special mountaineering team has been deployed to locate the missing individuals.

Earlier, the SDRF Gangotri team had reached the Kedartal region to conduct a reconnaissance; however, heavy snowfall and extreme weather conditions hampered efforts to advance the search operation on the ground. Consequently, authorities decided to carry out an aerial reconnaissance and search of the area via helicopter.

As part of this effort, two SDRF p...