A BRITISH hiker is believed to have plunged to his death in India after accidentally trekking on a banned high-altitude route in treacherous conditions, reports claim.

The 27-year-old was walking with a friend in the Dhauladhar mountains, near the Himalayas, when he fell and sustained serious injuries.

It’s thought the pair were unaware of a local ban on high-altitude trekking in the winter seasons, cops said.

On February 14, the pair reportedly embarked on the trek from Dharamkot to the snowline via Triund in Dharamshala.

The Brit is believed to have slipped during their descent, seriously injuring himself.

The tourist “suffered an accident and sustained rib injuries,” Indian police said.

His pal trekked back down to desperately get help from cops and locals, with a team of rescuers immediately dispatched, local media claims.

A rescue team, consisting of the fire department, police, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), arrived at the scene late at night.

Despite their efforts, the Brit succumbed to his injuries and was tragically pronounced dead on Monday.

An official stated the tourist “was rescued but passed away from his wounds.”

It took rescuers more than a day to bring the tourist down the hill due to the tricky terrain.

Police officials said the Brit’s friend had also been injured while trekking the snowline.

A team of 10 rescuers were dispatched around 6:30pm on Sunday.

Authorities later reported that the trekkers were 4km further uphill in the tricky terrain.

Various emergency services reached the site of the accident late into the evening, according to local media.

It reportedly took four hours for rescuers to reach the tourist, who they discovered in “critical condition”.

The Brit was brought down on a stretcher, with the terrain hindering the descent.

Officials said it took close to two hours just to cover 100 metres.

This led to a second team getting dispatched to assist, which reached the original group at 8am on Monday.

By early afternoon, a third team had to be sent to provide support, reaching the rescue site at 4pm.

The tourist was brought down to an ambulance just after 5pm – more than a day after the fall – and was tragically pronounced dead in hospital.

The Brit’s body was taken to a hospital in Dharamshala for medical examination.

Due to the dangers of winter conditions, trekking above 3,000 meters is currently prohibited in the area, which includes Triund and its surroundings.

According to the authorities, hikers are exposed to serious risks from extreme weather and heavy snowfall.

The Sun has approached the Foreign Office for comment.