New Delhi:
Forty-six workers of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were rescued from the debris of an avalanche that hit Uttarakhand’s Chamoli on Friday, while nine are yet to be retrieved. Four of the workers are critical. All rescued workers are undergoing treatment at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana.
Over 65 personnel plowed through almost seven feet of snow overnight in the area between Mana village and Mana Pass, near the Indo-Tibetan border, even as snow storms and poor visibility hampered rescued operations. The urgency to rescue the remaining workers increased as the state’s Meteorological Department issued a rain and snowfall alert in Chamoli district. Chances of light rain have also been predicted in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Nainital and Champawat.
According to a list released by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, the trapped labourers are from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, among other states. The list has 10 labourers’ names, without mentioning the states they belong to.
When the avalanche hit between 5.30 am and 6 am on Friday, the BRO camp between Badrinath was buried under the snow in Mana, the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres. Army’s swift response teams, comprising more than 100 personnel from the Ibex Brigade, specially trained for high-altitude rescue operations, were immediately mobilised. The teams included doctors and ambulances.
The NDRF said it rushed four teams to Chamoli. Besides, another four units have been kept on standby, NDRF Director General (DG) Piyush Anand told PTI. Officials said two teams were rushed from the Regional Response Centre (RRC) of the NDRF in Dehradun, while the other two were diverted from Joshimath, about 50 km from Mana, where they were undertaking a familiarisation exercise.
The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Mi-17 choppers left for Mana on Saturday morning to join the search-and-rescue operations. The Mana helipad was opened, where 14 civilians were rescued, one of them in critical condition.
Uttarakhand: The Mana avalanche rescue operation has started with helicopter rescues from Joshimath base camp. Two helicopters were sent to Badrinath Dham, with one returning from Mana pic.twitter.com/btS9IkR8Hd
— IANS (@ians_india) March 1, 2025
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is continuously reviewing the ongoing rescue operations from the CM’s residence. The state government on Friday issued helpline numbers for people to get assistance or information related to the avalanche. The helpline numbers are 8218867005, 9058441404, 0135 2664315 and toll free number 1070.
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.
Reports attribute the lack of civilian casualties resulting to the avalanche to an annual migration pattern in Mana. Every year, as the Badrinath temple closes, the villagers migrate for the next 4-5 months to escape the harsh winters.
Inclement weather also turned the situation awry in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. 583 roads, including 5 national highways, have been blocked in Himachal Pradesh, impacting areas including Kullu, Shimla, Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur and Kangra. One tourist has died, some are injured and 22 vehicles have been washed away. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only link between the Kashmir Valley and rest of India remained closed for the third consecutive day, stranding hundreds of vehicles.