On Saturday, the news agency PTI reported that search teams have rescued 14 additional laborers, while eight remain stranded under an avalanche in the high-altitude village of Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Officials were cited in the report.
On Friday, a total of 55 employees of the Border Roads Organisation were ensnared in the avalanche. On Friday evening, 33 individuals were rescued, and an additional 14 were extracted from the avalanche on Saturday morning.
The information previously shared was corrected by Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Secretary, Vinod Kumar Suman, who informed news agency PTI that two of the 57 laborers who were feared to be stranded in the avalanche at the BRO camp were on leave. The actual number of workers who were trapped was 55.
The trapped laborers were from a variety of states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, as per a manifest released by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority. The list contains the names of ten laborers, but it does not specify the states to which they belong.
Suman concurred that the endeavor is difficult due to the presence of seven feet of snow in the vicinity of the avalanche site. Nevertheless, he stated that over 65 personnel are currently involved in the rescue operations.
What happened ?
The snowslide that buried the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath drifted down early on Friday morning. Multiple teams engaged in a battle to reach the stranded laborers, navigating the challenging terrain, heavy snow, and icy temperatures. Initially, they removed ten of them, and subsequently the remaining ones.
According to the Army, the laborers were buried inside eight containers and a shed when the avalanche struck between 5:30am and 6am. It promptly mobilized its swift response teams, which are composed of over 100 personnel from the Ibex Brigade and are specifically trained for high-altitude rescue operations. The squads consisted of ambulances and physicians.
According to a public relations officer (PRO) of the Army, four of the individuals who were rescued were reported to be in critical condition.
Mana, situated at an elevation of 3,200 meters, is the final village on the India-Tibet frontier, situated three kilometers from Badrinath.
In a bleak landscape engulfed in white, rescuers were depicted trekking through towering snowdrifts in visuals from Mana.
Rescue efforts were suspended as a result of inclement weather.
Rescue operations were suspended as a result of the current inclement weather and the imminent threat of additional avalanches in Mana. The primary avalanche was succeeded by two more modest ones.
The situation is critical, as the containers are submerged beneath six to seven feet of snow, according to Suman.
Rescue operations are overseen by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami
The ongoing rescue work and clearance operations are being closely monitored by Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who is in constant communication with officials at the site to ensure that prompt action is taken. This is being done from the CM residence.
The Uttarakhand government has provided the following helpline numbers: Mobile No: 8218867005, 9058441404, Telephone No: 0135 2664315, and Toll-Free No: 1070.
Chief Minister Dhami was assured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the government’s primary concern was the secure evacuation of the individuals who were ensnared in the incident.
Blocked highway between Rishikesh and Badrinath
Officials informed the news agency ANI on Saturday that the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway near Karnaprayag has been obstructed by mountain detritus that has fallen as a result of the continuous rainfall.
In the Jyotirmath Kotwali region, the highway is still closed due to detritus falling at numerous locations, including Animath and Pagal Nala, as per reports. The authorities are currently in the process of clearing the route and reestablishing traffic flow.
On Friday morning, the highway was momentarily closed due to a substantial avalanche in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
