Dehradun, March 2: The search operation for four missing labourers at the avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, Chamoli district, resumed on Sunday with enhanced efforts, including the deployment of sniffer dogs and helicopters.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that with clear weather conditions, the operation is expected to accelerate. A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, being flown in from Delhi, is expected to aid the rescue mission. An Mi-17 helicopter stationed in Dehradun is on standby to transport the equipment to the avalanche site.
Avalanche Traps 54 Workers, Four Confirmed Dead
The avalanche struck the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath on Friday, burying 54 workers inside eight containers and a shed. Initial reports had indicated 55 workers were impacted, but the number was revised after a labourer from Himachal Pradesh, who was on unauthorised leave, was found safe at his home.Rescue teams managed to pull 50 workers from the snow, but four were found dead. Efforts are now concentrated on locating the four missing labourers and ensuring the safe evacuation of stranded workers.
Rescue Efforts Intensify with Advanced Equipment and Air Support
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, assisted by sniffer dogs, have joined the search and rescue mission. Senior military officials, including Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in-C, Central Command, and Lt Gen D G Mishra, GOC, Uttar Bharat, are overseeing the operations at the site.A fleet of six helicopters—three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and a civil helicopter hired by the Army—have been deployed to aid in the rescue efforts.
The missing labourers have been identified as Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh, and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand.
Difficult Terrain Hampers Ground Rescue Operations
Army officials reported that while air operations were prioritised on Saturday, ground rescue efforts were hindered by snow blocking key access roads, making vehicular movement nearly impossible. The primary focus remains on transporting rescued workers to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath and continuing the search for the missing workers.Lt Gen Sengupta noted that if weather conditions remain favourable, advanced rescue technology—including RECCO radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs—will be deployed to aid in the search.
"Everything depends on the weather," he stated.
Massive Multi-Agency Rescue Operation Underway
More than 200 personnel from multiple agencies, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), BRO, NDRF, SDRF, IAF, district administration, health department, and fire brigade, are engaged in the rescue operations.Located at an altitude of 3,200 meters, Mana is the last Indian village on the India-Tibet border, situated just three kilometres from Badrinath. The ongoing rescue mission underscores the challenges posed by the harsh Himalayan terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.
Authorities remain hopeful that the advanced search equipment and continued coordinated efforts will lead to the successful recovery of the missing labourers.
