Wrong turn in Ladakh: Frozen car, closed road, no fuel - How cops rescued Agra tourists missing for 5 days

Image generated by AI

• Four Agra tourists rescued in Ladakh after being stranded on a snow-blocked road
• Police found the group in a remote hut after days of searching in sub-zero temps.
• Officials urge travelers to heed advisories during Ladakh's harsh winter months

Did our AI summary help?

In a dramatic high-altitude operation, police in Ladakh have successfully rescued four tourists from Uttar Pradesh who went missing for days after straying onto a snow-blocked mountain road in sub-zero temperatures.

The men, all residents of Agra identified as Yash Mittal, Shivam Chaudhary, Jaiveer Chaudhary and Shadanshu Faujdar were located in a remote hut and are now safe, authorities confirmed.

Detailing the sequence of events, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Nyoma, Stanzin Gylsan, stated that the group had visited Pangong Lake in their private vehicle on the evening of January 9. After speaking to their families from the area, they departed. Concern was raised days later when contact was lost.

#WATCH | Nyoma, Ladakh: SHO Nyoma, Stanzin Gylsan says, "On the evening of the 9th January, these people standing behind me, who are from Agra, went to see Pangong Lake in their private vehicle... After these tourists spoke to their families, they left the area... On the 13th, a… https://t.co/8U6PHeHlvNpic.twitter.com/0bhsl6HODt

— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2026

"On the 13th, a family member called from Delhi saying that four members of their family were on a Ladakh tour and they hadn't been able to contact them since the 9th," SHO Gylsan said.

"Accordingly, we immediately took action and filed a missing person report at Pipitangse. After that, we immediately activated a search."

The search revealed the group had mistakenly diverted onto the Leh–Manali highway while attempting to return to Leh. This crucial route is officially closed for winter due to impassable heavy snowfall. "They had initially lost their way while trying to reach Manali directly and they had no knowledge that the road was closed," the officer explained.

The error left the quartet stranded in an extremely remote area. Facing severe cold, they initially spent two nights inside their vehicle, surviving by using its heating system until the fuel supply was exhausted. With no heat, they abandoned the car — which had also sustained minor accident damage — and set out on foot.

Police teams, tracing the men’s last known location, deployed towards Sarchu and extended efforts across surrounding areas including Debring and Whisky Nalla. The breakthrough came when searchers located the tourists’ abandoned vehicle and, following clues, tracked them to a hut approximately 20 kilometres away.

"During the search, we saw some people near a hut. We went to them and it turned out to be these people... We successfully rescued them," said SHO Gylsan. He added that the men were given immediate medical attention: "I took them to the hospital and had them medically examined, and everything is fine."

The officer confirmed that the tourists' families had now arrived in Leh and that the group would depart from the area the following morning.

The police credited the successful outcome to swift coordination. In a stern reminder following the rescue, officials reiterated the critical importance of travellers adhering to official advisories, especially during the harsh winter months.