Uttarakhand avalanche: Army races against time to rescue remaining workers; 47 rescued so far
Uttarakhand avalanche rescue operation: The Indian Army and rescue teams are in a desperate race against time to save the remaining eight workers still trapped after an avalanche buried a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Badrinath. The disaster, which struck over 24 hours ago, initially trapped 55 workers engaged in clearing snow to facilitate Army movement along the Indo-Tibetan border.
On the second day of rescue operations, the Indian Army confirmed the evacuation of 14 more personnel. Among them, three critically injured workers were transported to Joshimath for urgent medical care using civil helicopters hired by the Army. Despite a brief improvement in weather conditions, the search efforts were temporarily halted as nightfall and heavy snowfall made operations increasingly challenging.
By the end of the first day, 33 workers had been successfully rescued. However, rescuers face immense difficulty locating the remaining trapped workers, as the avalanche site is covered under nearly seven feet of snow. Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman acknowledged the complexities of the operation, emphasising the severe weather conditions and the ongoing risk of further avalanches.
The avalanche, which struck the BRO camp at 7.15 am, buried workers inside eight containers and a shed. According to Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, spokesperson for the Union Defence Ministry, rescue teams are now focusing on retrieving those still trapped in the remaining three containers.
The Indian Army swiftly mobilised over 100 personnel, including medical teams, ambulances, and heavy equipment from the Ibex Brigade, to support the search mission. By 11.50 am on Friday, rescuers had located five containers, successfully rescuing 10 persons. Among them, four workers remain in critical condition.
The General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), a division of BRO, is actively clearing snow-laden roads to facilitate the movement of medical teams and additional resources from Joshimath to Mana. However, the rescue teams are proceeding with extreme caution due to ongoing small-scale avalanches in the region, slowing down operations.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is closely monitoring the rescue efforts from his residence and has been in continuous contact with officials. On Friday, he briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the operation. Following their conversation, CM Dhami shared on social media that PM Modi had assured all possible assistance to deal with the emergency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke with CM Dhami, the Director Generals of the ITBP and NDRF, and emphasised that the safe evacuation of all trapped workers remains the government’s top priority.
According to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, the trapped workers hail from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.
- With inputs from agencies
