New Delhi, February 28 – The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has mobilized four teams to Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district after an avalanche trapped 41 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers. The disaster struck in the early hours of Friday near the high-altitude border village of Mana.
NDRF Director General Piyush Anand confirmed the deployment, stating that an additional four teams have been placed on standby. "The rescue mission has been activated following directives from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a swift response," Anand said.
According to officials, two of the deployed teams have been dispatched from the NDRF’s Regional Response Centre (RRC) in Dehradun, while the other two have been diverted from Joshimath, where they were engaged in a familiarization exercise.
Rescue Efforts Amid Harsh Weather
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) reported that a "heavy landslide" struck a civil workers' camp along Mana GST Road at 5 a.m., triggered by continuous snowfall. ITBP and Army personnel launched immediate rescue operations, successfully evacuating 10 injured workers who are currently receiving medical treatment."Efforts continue to locate and rescue the remaining trapped workers despite extreme weather conditions," an ITBP spokesperson stated.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami provided an update, revealing that 16 of the 57 affected labourers have been rescued.
The workers were engaged in clearing snow near Mana when the avalanche struck their camp between Mana and Badrinath. Located just three kilometers from Badrinath at an altitude of 3,200 meters, Mana is the last Indian village before the Tibet border.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with authorities working against time and harsh weather to ensure the safety of the remaining trapped workers.
