Chamoli Avalanche: 46 BRO Workers Rescued, Four Critical; Search Continues For Nine

Rescue teams have managed to save 46 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers from the debris of an avalanche that hit Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli on Friday (28 February), while nine are yet to be retrieved, NDTV reported.

Among the rescued workers, four are in critical condition.

The injured workers are receiving medical care at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana.

Despite snow storms and poor visibility hindering the rescue efforts, more than 65 rescue personnel worked tirelessly overnight, clearing nearly seven feet of snow in the area between Mana village and Mana Pass, near the Indo-Tibetan border.

Concerns for the trapped workers grew as the Uttarakhand Meteorological Department issued a rain and snowfall alert for Chamoli district.

Weather forecasts also indicate a possibility of light rain in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Nainital, and Champawat.

According to a list released by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, the trapped labourers hail from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, among other states.

However, the list does not specify the home states of 10 of the labourers.

The avalanche struck between 5.30 am and 6.00 am on Friday, burying the BRO camp in Mana, a village near the India-Tibet border situated at an altitude of 3,200 metres.

The Army promptly deployed its Ibex Brigade, a high-altitude rescue unit consisting of over 100 personnel, to assist in the rescue efforts. The teams included doctors and ambulances.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) dispatched four teams to Chamoli for rescue operations.

Two NDRF teams were deployed from the Regional Response Centre in Dehradun, while two others were redirected from Joshimath, around 50 km from Mana, where they were were undertaking a familiarisation exercise.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is closely monitoring the ongoing rescue operations.

Also Read: India On Track To Surpass US In Scientific Publications By 2029: Science Minister