Shimla: Police rescued four pilgrims overnight after they lost their way while descending from the 11,965-foot Churdhar Peak in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district.

The group of seven tourists from Punjab and Haryana visited the Churdhar Temple on Sunday before getting lost in the dense forest on their way back to Nauradhar. Three members—Dushyant, Jagrit, and Jaspreet—found the trail after two hours and alerted authorities at 8pm on Sunday.

After verifying details with the Churdhar Temple Committee, a team from the Chaupal police station launched a rescue operation in the rugged terrain. Around midnight, officers located two missing trekkers, Rahul, 22, and Saket, 21, of Mohali, in the Patal Khad forest area.

During the search, police received a second alert for another couple missing in the same region. The team extended the operation and subsequently traced Rahul, 26, and his wife Madhu, 24, who belong to Karnal in Haryana.

All four missing pilgrims were brought back safely within seven hours of the alert and provided assistance for their return. Police have urged tourists undertaking the high-altitude trek to stick to designated paths, avoid unfamiliar routes, and carry reliable communication equipment.