DEHRADUN: A tragic avalanche near the China border in Mana, Uttarakhand, has struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp, leaving approximately 55 workers feared trapped under the debris.
As of now, 32 individuals have been successfully rescued; however, the search operation was suspended late Friday evening due to heavy snowfall. Rescuers plan to resume their efforts on Saturday morning in hopes of locating the remaining 23 workers.
According to reports, approximately 55 workers were trapped under the debris following the sudden avalanche. In response to the emergency, the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) launched a rescue operation on a war footing.
“By late evening, heavy snowfall forced us to pause the rescue efforts,” an official stated.
“So far, we have successfully rescued 32 out of the 55 trapped workers. The search for the remaining 23 is ongoing.” The workers are believed to have been contracted by a contractor working with the BRO.
Nandkishore Joshi, the District Disaster Management Officer of Chamoli, spoke to The New Indian Express, stating, “Rescue operations have been temporarily halted due to heavy snowfall. According to the latest update, 32 out of the 55 individuals trapped in the avalanche have been rescued, and the search for the remaining 23 will resume on Saturday morning.”
To clear the snow on the Badrinath Highway, the BRO has deployed JCB machines. However, continuous snowfall and fog in the area are hindering rescue efforts.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), disaster management, and police have set out on foot towards Mana village from the Badrinath Highway.
