Shimla, Aug 19 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday requested the defence ministry to evacuate the body of a trekker which has been lying on the icy heights in Jammu and Kashmir for over a week.

The government wrote to the joint secretary in the ministry of defence and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army's Northern Command Lt Gen D.S. Hooda to evacuate the body of Arun Sharma, 30, lying close to the Umasi Pass, an official statement here said.

The pass connects Kishtwar with Zanskar in Kargil district.

The trekker was stranded there owing to injuries. The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescue team reached there by chopper on August 16 but found him dead.

It could not manage to airlift the body as it was frozen.

The second trekker, Rijul Gill, 30, who was not injured, reached Zanskar in Kargil after more than one and a half days of trekking.

On his request, the IAF carried out the search operation.

"Earnest efforts are being made by the state to evacuate the trekker's body," the statement quoted Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as saying.

Both trekkers left for Umasi Pass on August 9.