Chamoli Avalanche: 25 Workers Missing, 32 Rescued from BRO Camp in Uttarakhand

Chamoli Avalanche: On Friday morning, a massive avalanche struck the Border Roads Organization (BRO) camp in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, burying at least 25 construction workers under snow and debris.

As per the Chamoli district disaster management officer Nand Kishore Joshi, efforts are on to save the other 25 workers after 32 out of 57 trapped workers were rescued.

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According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, attempts were on to rescue the workers, but operations were delayed due to bad weather. “Visibility is low and choppers can’t fly into the area…. The area is receiving heavy snowfall and rain, which is hampering the rescue efforts,” he said.

The avalanche struck near a highway along Mana village, the last village before the China-India border, hardly 4km away from the Badrinath temple. According to officials, the workers were clearing the 50km stretch between Mana Pass and Mana village for boulders and snow.

Lt Col Manish Srivastava, the Defence PRO based in Dehradun, said: "Rescue operations have begun since 8 am involving 174 soldiers of the Indian Army's IBEX Brigade."

“The team is working relentlessly in challenging conditions to conduct search and rescue operations to rescue the trapped people. A specialised medical team comprising two doctors and four ambulances have also been deployed there…. The operation remains ongoing, with all resources focused on saving lives,” he said.

Chamoli DM Sandeep Tiwari said that there were 57 workers in the BRO camp when the avalanche hit.

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In Dehradun, the Chief Minister arrived at the State Disaster Operations Centre and conducted an assessment of the rescue operations together with senior officials. The Chief Minister has stated that the Army, ITBP, disaster management experts, and other agencies are doing their utmost to rescue these trapped workers as soon as possible.

Uttarakhand SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi stated his teams were dispatched from Jyotirmath (previously known as Joshimath) toward the affected site. “Additionally, our high-altitude teams at Gauchar (Chamoli) and Sahastradhara (Dehradun) have been placed on standby.” he said.

According to information at 8 am, that an avalanche had struck the Mana area, said Colonel Ankur Mahajan, BRO Commander. “Some workers employed by a contractor were engaged in road construction. We do not have the exact headcount at this time. 10 people have been rescued, three of whom have sustained injuries. They are currently receiving treatment. The affected area is inaccessible, with no mobile connectivity. The road before Hanuman Chatti is blocked, and we are working to clear it. Our teams are making every effort to reach the site,” he added.

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