Dehradun, March 2: A labourer who had been missing following the avalanche at a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, Uttarakhand, was found dead on Sunday. With the recovery of this body, the death toll from the disaster has now reached five, according to district authorities.
The avalanche struck the BRO camp, located between Mana and Badrinath in Chamoli district, on Friday. It buried 54 workers inside eight containers and a shed. Initially, it was believed that 55 workers were affected, but it was later clarified that one worker, who had been on unauthorized leave, had safely reached home. By Friday, rescuers had managed to pull 50 labourers from the snow.
As of Sunday, three workers remain missing. The ongoing rescue operation is being supported by a range of advanced tools and technologies, including sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras, and helicopters. Search teams are continuing their efforts to locate the missing workers, despite the challenging weather conditions.
Army doctors have reported that 46 of the rescued workers have been taken to the military hospital in Jyotirmath, while one worker with a spinal cord injury was airlifted to AIIMS in Rishikesh. Three of the rescued workers are said to be in critical condition.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) to oversee the rescue operations. During a press briefing, Dhami stated, "A ground penetrating radar (GPR) system is being sent to the avalanche site, and modern tools like thermal imaging cameras and victim locating cameras are being utilized to trace the missing workers. We aim to locate them today, before the weather worsens."
The Chief Minister further confirmed that officials have been instructed to expedite the ongoing operation. “The Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, and other rescue teams are working tirelessly at the site," he added.
District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that the search efforts were set to intensify as clear weather conditions prevail. The GPR system, expected from Delhi, would soon be operational on-site, with an Mi-17 helicopter waiting in Dehradun to transport it. SDRF and NDRF teams, alongside sniffer dogs, continue to assist in the search operations.
In addition to the ground efforts, six helicopters—three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and a civil helicopter hired by the Army—are being used in the operation. With access to the area hindered by heavy snow, the helicopter teams have been essential for reaching the affected area.
Located three kilometers from Badrinath, Mana village sits at a height of 3,200 meters and is the last settlement before the India-Tibet border. Due to the severe weather conditions, the approach road to the area remains blocked, making vehicular movement nearly impossible. Therefore, helicopters have been the primary mode of transportation for the rescue teams.
The focus of the ongoing operation is to bring the remaining survivors to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath while continuing to search for the four missing workers. If weather conditions permit, additional resources such as RECCO radars, UAVs, quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs will be deployed.
With more than 200 personnel from the disaster management authority, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, IAF, district administration, health department, and fire brigade working at the site, authorities are hopeful that the missing workers will soon be located. Lt Gen. Anindya Sengupta and Lt Gen. D G Mishra, senior Army officers, are closely monitoring the operation.
The outcome of the search remains dependent on the weather, with teams working under challenging conditions to bring the remaining workers to safety.
Last updated by a enewsx:
