32 of 57 BRO workers trapped under avalanche in Uttarakhand rescued

The avalanche struck the BRO labour camp, located between Mana and Badrinath in Chamoli district at 0715 hours, burying 57 workers inside eight containers and 1 shed.

New Delhi: A massive avalanche on Friday hit a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand trapping 57 workers, but teams from the Indian Army, ITBP and disaster response forces managed to rescue 32 of them, giving rise to hopes for the remaining 25 who still remained trapped.

The avalanche struck the BRO labour camp, located between Mana and Badrinath in Chamoli district at 0715 hours, burying 57 workers inside eight containers and one shed. Mana, three kilometres from Badrinath, is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.

In the evening, Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said, "Out of 57 workers trapped in the avalanche, 32 have been rescued."

The Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department said, “By 5 pm, 32 people had been rescued safely. The process of evacuating the remaining 25 is in progress. Relief and rescue work is going on on a war footing to rescue people trapped in the avalanche 6 km ahead of Badrinath Dham in Chamoli district."

Within minutes of the massive river of snow hitting the camp, the Indian Army mobilised a dedicated rescue team comprising seven officers, 17 junior commissioned officers, and 150 men of the Ibex Brigade - the only independent mountain brigade of the Indian Army.

The team, also equipped with specialized medical units (two doctors and four ambulances) and four engineering equipment has been working in challenging conditions to conduct search and rescue operations to rescue the workers and ensure their safety.

By 1150 hours, the rescuers had located five containers and successfully saved 10 individuals, all alive. Of the 10 rescued, four personnel were in critical conditions. Search operations continue for the remaining three containers.

“We have rescued ten people who are undergoing treatment. Also we have received inputs that 22 others, who earlier were thought to be trapped under snow, are safe. We are also trying to open up the road between Mana and Joshimath,” said Brigadier Mandeep Dhillon, who is leading the army team.

But the progress was slow because of subsequent small-sized avalanches, an Indian Army official said here. Additional medical resources from Joshimath are being mobilised to Mana to assist with the rescue and medical aid.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the operations from the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun.

Dhami said due to lack of visibility, it was not possible for helicopters to fly, but the weather was expected to be clear tomorrow, which would speed up the rescue operation.

The head of Mana village said in the past, the camp used to get shifted to Badrinath during winter, but this time the shifting didn't happen due to scant snowfall.