February 28, 2025 – In a life-and-death race against time, teams from the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are working to save 24 workers who are feared trapped beneath the ice after a devastating glacier avalanche hit a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project site at Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district at around 5 a.m. on Friday
According to the Uttarakhand government, there were 57 civilian workers present at the affected site, where BRO construction work has been ongoing for the last two years.
Chamoli district’s Disaster Response Officer Nandkishore Joshi said that the workers had been sleeping inside a couple of containers when the avalanche hit their sheds. The victims include the construction workers as well as JCB drivers and other machine operators.
“There has been continuous snowfall in the area for the past 48 hours,” he said, adding that while many of the workers managed to run out of the sheds, a number of others are trapped under the mountain of ice that has covered the site.
Army Brigade Commander Mandeep Dhillon said that a dedicated rescue team — comprised of seven officers, 17 Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO), and 150 other personnel of the IBEX Brigade which is trained for rescue operations in the Himalayas — has been deployed in Mana village since 8 a.m. They are equipped with a specialised medical team and engineering equipment.
“Ten people have been rescued so far, who are under treatment by Army doctors. The operation remains ongoing, with all resources focussed on saving lives,” Brigadier Dhillon said. He added that 22 other workers were reported to be safe. Late on Friday night, the Uttarakhand government said that the whereabouts of one more worker was traced later in the evening.
The injured workers have been admitted to the army hospital in Mana, according to a statement from the State Disaster Response Force. The doctors have stitched up a couple of the rescued workers who suffered grievous injuries on their heads and other parts of the body.
Snowfall interrupts
rescue efforts
The rescue operations were forced to stop multiple times during the day due to the extreme weather conditions, with continuous snow and rainfall in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, including at Mana. The India Meteorological Department has issued an advisory on the snowfall and the possibility of further avalanches in mountainous districts, along with the precautionary measures to be taken. The State government also issued two helpline numbers which can be contacted by the kin of the trapped workers seeking information about the rescue, as the communication channels at the site remained non-functional due to the bad weather.
“Sad news was received about many workers being buried under an avalanche during the construction work being carried out by the BRO near Mana village in Chamoli district. Relief and rescue operations are being carried out by ITBP, BRO and other rescue teams. I pray to Lord Badri Vishal for the safety of all the labourer brothers,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.
Describing it as a tragic incident, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that he has spoken to the CM and taken stock of the situation. Home Minister Amit Shah also assured the State government of all possible help in the rescue operation.
Source:
www.thehindu.com
