Uttarakhand glacier burst: The actual number of trapped workers was subsequently found out to be 55, not 57 as initially reported. Two of the BRO workers at the camp site were on leave, officials said.
Thirty-three workers of the Border Road Organisaton trapped under an avalanche in the high-altitude village of Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been rescued, with concerns over the safety of the remaining 22 mounting as rescue efforts were temporary halted for night. The 22 remaining workers are yet to be traced amid adverse weather conditions, according to an official.
The actual number of workers trapped in the avalanche was 55.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have left for the spot, about 300 km from the state capital Dehradun, to join the rescue operations. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Mi-17 choppers are also scheduled to leave for Mana on Saturday morning to aid the search-and-rescue operations.
Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said that the task is challenging as there is seven feet of snow near the avalanche site. However, more than 65 personnel are engaged in the rescue operations, he added.
The snowslide buried the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath as it rolled down early on Friday morning.
Rescue officials battled through the tough terrain, heavy snow and icy temperatures to reach the trapped labourers. They initially pulled out 10 of them and then the others, according to reports.
All 33 rescued labourers are undergoing treatment at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana, news agency PTI reported, adding that four of them rescued are reported to be in a critical condition.
Located three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.
The avalanche hit between 5:30 am and 6 am, burying the workers inside eight containers and a shed. The Army deployed its swift response teams, comprising more than 100 personnel from the Ibex Brigade, specially trained for high-altitude rescue operations. The teams included doctors and ambulances.
According to Suman, the situation is critical with the containers buried under six to seven feet of snow.
Administration Providing All Assistance To The Affected
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have left for the spot, about 300 km from the state capital Dehradun, amid continuing snowfall and rain.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said rescuing the trapped people is the government’s priority. In a post on X, Shah said he spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the directors general of the ITBP and NDRF.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said all efforts are being made to rescue the trapped workers by utilising every available resource. “An unfortunate avalanche has occurred in the Mana area of Joshimath (Uttarakhand) today impacting a GREF camp of BRO. Spoke to CM Shri @pushkardhami regarding the situation. The administration is providing all assistance to the affected,” Singh said in a post on X.
Villagers in Mana said the site of the accident is considered vulnerable to avalanches in winter and the BRO camp is usually closed this time of the year.
“The camp was not closed this year due to a lack of snowfall and that is why these people got trapped,” Mana village headman Pitambar Singh told PTI.
Officials were on alert for bad weather and its possible impact.