21 mountaineers missing after avalanche in northern India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian officials say at least 21 trainee mountaineers are reported missing after getting trapped in an avalanche in northern India. Police in Uttarakhand state say a group of 29 people was hit by an avalanche on a mountain peak located in the Gangotri range of the Garhwal Himalayas. The state police chief said Tuesday the rescuers pulled eight mountaineers from the snow and are still searching for the remaining 21. All the missing were undergoing training at a mountaineering institute but far from the avalanche site. Avalanches are common in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand. Last year, a glacier burst in the state resulted in a flash flood that left more than 200 people dead.