Uttarakhand: A massive avalanche struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday left at least 42 workers engaged in road construction near Mana village, close to the India-Tibet border, trapped under the snow, and a multi-agency operation has been launched to rescue them, officials said.
According to reports, 57 workers were present at the site when the avalanche occurred. While 15 have been rescued and rushed to an army camp in critical condition, efforts are underway to locate the remaining trapped workers.
Rescue operations are being carried out by multiple agencies, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Army.
An Army statement said, the avalanche struck around 7.15 a.m. near a BRO camp, approximately 3 km ahead of Badrinath Dham, where workers were clearing snow for army movement. The Army’s swift response teams, including over 100 personnel from the Ibex Brigade, doctors, ambulances, and heavy equipment, were immediately mobilized.
An army official stated that ongoing snowfall and intermittent smaller avalanches are slowing rescue efforts, which are being conducted with extreme caution. The General Reserve Engineer Force (GERF) is also working to clear the road between Joshimath and Mana, while additional medical resources from Joshimath are being mobilised.
“District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari has directed officials to expedite the rescue mission. He confirmed that 57 workers were engaged in clearing snow for army movement when the avalanche struck. So far, no fatalities have been reported.
A team of the SDRF has been dispatched from Joshimath, while a high-altitude rescue team remains on standby at Sahastradhara helipad, awaiting improved weather for aerial deployment. The Army has also been contacted to clear blocked routes in Lambagad.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Uttarakhand and other hilly regions, warning of extremely heavy snowfall – up to 20 cm – until late Friday night.
Rescue teams continue to battle challenging conditions as efforts intensify to locate and save the trapped workers.(PTI)
