Fifty workers have been rescued from the site of an avalanche that struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, located in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Unfortunately, four of these workers lost their lives on Saturday as rescuers continued their urgent efforts to locate four additional laborers feared to be trapped.
According to the latest updates from the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), five laborers were initially reported missing. However, one of them, Sunil Kumar from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, has made it back home safely on his own. Efforts are now concentrated on finding the remaining four workers.
The avalanche occurred between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM on Friday, burying 55 laborers within eight containers and a shed at the BRO camp situated between Mana and Badrinath, as confirmed by the Army. By Friday night, 33 workers had been rescued, with an additional 17 saved on Saturday.
Rescue operations faced challenges from rain and snowfall on Friday, necessitating a temporary halt as night fell. Once the weather improved on Saturday morning, rescue teams from the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), based in Mana, resumed their efforts, as stated by District Disaster Management Officer N.K. Joshi.
To assist in the operations, six helicopters were deployed, including three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps and two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), along with a civilian chopper hired by the Army, reported Lieutenant Colonel Manish Shrivastava, the Army’s Public Relations Officer.
Mana, positioned three kilometers from Badrinath, is the last village on the India-Tibet border at an elevation of 3,200 meters. Lt. Col. Shrivastava confirmed that while 50 laborers were rescued, tragically, four of the injured have been confirmed dead. The injured individuals are being prioritized for evacuation.
The USDMA reported that of the four dead, one died during treatment in Jyotirmath, and three others succumbed in Badrinath-Mana. The deceased have been identified as Mohindra Pal and Jitendra Singh from Himachal Pradesh, Manjit Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, and Alok Yadav from Uttarakhand. The four missing workers include Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh, and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand.
Army officials indicated that rescue efforts on Saturday largely relied on Army and IAF helicopters due to several points on the approach road being blocked by snow, making vehicle movement nearly impossible. The focus remains on transporting the rescued workers to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath while continuing the search for the missing individuals.
Officials also reported that 24 injured workers were taken to the Army hospital, with two of them referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh.
Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, the GOC-in-C of the Central Command, along with Lieutenant General D. G. Mishra, GOC of Uttar Bharat, has arrived at the site to oversee the rescue operations. Lt. Gen. Sengupta pointed out that road movement is not feasible due to heavy snow blockage, with the Badrinath-Joshimath highway obstructed at around 15-20 locations.
He added that the BRO camp comprised eight containers, of which five have been located, but three remain unaccounted for, potentially housing the missing workers. However, the USDMA later announced that the remaining three containers had also been found, but no workers were discovered inside them.
If weather conditions permit, specialized RECCO radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs will be deployed to locate the missing workers, according to Lt. Gen. Sengupta. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche site and reviewed the relief and rescue operations from Jyotirmath.
Upon returning to Dehradun, he praised the rescue teams for their commendable efforts in saving 50 individuals so far, and instructed officials to continue the search for the missing workers with a sense of urgency.
Army sniffer dogs have been deployed, and three Army teams are actively patrolling the area, as reported by the chief minister. Over 200 personnel from the disaster management authority, ITBP, BRO, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, IAF, district administration, health department, and fire brigade are involved in the rescue operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated on the situation and pledged all possible assistance from central agencies, said Chief Minister Dhami.
One of the rescued workers, Gopal Joshi from Narayanbagar in Chamoli district, expressed his gratitude for surviving the ordeal while resting at the Army’s Jyotirmath hospital. He recounted the terrifying experience: “Fresh snow was falling outside. As we exited the container, we heard a rumble and saw a torrent of snow rushing toward us. I yelled to warn my fellow workers, and we began to run, but deep snow slowed us down. After two hours, the ITBP rescued us.”
