By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
CHAMOLI, 1 Mar: The rescue operation in Mana, Chamoli, continued for the second day on Saturday following a devastating avalanche that buried 55 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers under snow and debris. As of Saturday, 50 people have been rescued, but four of them succumbed to their injuries. Efforts are going on to locate and rescue the remaining five workers trapped in the avalanche. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is himself on ground zero and supervising the rescue mission, even as he also conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche hit area.
Lt Col Manish Srivastava, PRO Defence Dehradun, provided an update stating that the rescue mission is being led by the Army’s Ibex Brigade and is being conducted on a war footing. He added that no effort is being spared in the rescue operations. The conditions are challenging, but the morale of the rescue teams remains high. More than 100 personnel, including doctors and ambulances, have been deployed. The extreme weather, heavy snowfall, and difficult terrain continue to pose significant challenges.
Air support has been deployed amid harsh conditions. Due to blocked roads, 6 helicopters have been deployed for evacuation and rescue operations. These include 3 Cheetah helicopters from the Indian Army Aviation, 2 Cheetah helicopters from the Indian Air Force and 1 civilian helicopter hired by the Indian Army. Despite the adverse weather, the aerial operations have helped transport the injured to safety.
Of the 50 rescued workers, 27 have been airlifted to Joshimath for medical treatment. Unfortunately, four workers succumbed to their injuries. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp in Mana has been providing immediate medical care to the survivors.
It may be recalled that the avalanche struck between 5:30 a.m. and 6 am on Friday, burying workers inside eight containers and a shed. The rescue teams have been battling extreme weather conditions, with continuous snowfall and rain hampering the operations. Nightfall forced the temporary suspension of search efforts, but teams remain committed to resuming operations at the earliest opportunity. Local villagers highlighted that the area is highly prone to avalanches during winter, and the BRO camp is usually closed during this season. Footage from the site shows rescue teams trudging through deep snow, working tirelessly to locate the missing workers.
As of now, five workers remain trapped, and the Army, along with specialized high-altitude rescue teams, is continuing search efforts. The Army and ITBP teams are stationed in Mana though reinforcements from outside have been delayed due to severe weather conditions.
After inspecting the site, the Chief Minister reached the State Emergency Operations Centre at USDMA and discussed the rescue operation with senior government officials. He informed that the relief and rescue teams have done commendable work, rescuing 50 people so far. Instructions have been given to conduct a war-footing operation to search for five more workers trapped in the avalanche. He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an update on the rescue operation over the phone and assured all possible help. Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are also concerned about the safe evacuation of the workers and are taking regular updates. He thanked the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Defence Minister for the support provided by the Central Government.
Dhami also shared that the relief and rescue teams have successfully traced five containers and evacuated the workers safely. Three containers have not been traced due to heavy snow. Efforts are being made to trace these containers. Army sniffer dogs have been deployed to search for the containers, and intensive patrolling is being done by three teams of the Army. The Army’s GPS radar (Ground Penetration Radar) has been ordered from Delhi to help trace the containers under the snow.
Dhami assured that all arrangements have been made for the treatment of the injured workers. The injured workers are being treated at the Army Hospital in Mana and Jyotirmath. AIIMS Rishikesh, Srinagar Medical College, and local CHCs and PHCs have been put on alert. Present on this occasion were Advisory Committee Disaster Management Department Vice Chairman Vinay Kumar Ruhela, DGP Deepam Seth, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretary Shailesh Bagoli, Secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner Garhwal Vinay Shankar Pandey, Secretary Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Suman, GOC Uttarakhand Sub-Area Major General Prem Raj, ITBP IG Sanjay Gunjyal, IG SDRF Riddhim Agarwal, Inspector General of Police Garhwal Range Rajiv Swaroop, USDMA ACEO Implementation DIG Rajkumar Negi, Finance Controller Abhishek Anand, and JECEO Md. Obaidullah Ansari, among others.
Tourists told to desist travel to snowing regions
By OUR STAFF REPORTER
CHAMOLI, 1 Mar: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday stated that due to the possibility of avalanches resulting from excessive snowfall, tourists staying in various resorts in high-altitude areas like Auli and Harshil will be relocated to safe places. He has appealed to tourists to desist from travel to these areas for the next three days. Additionally, the local administration has been instructed to take all necessary precautions for safety. During an aerial survey in Mana, Dhami observed that the Alaknanda river appears to have frozen due to heavy snowfall. He directed officials to conduct a recce and assess any potential dangers.
Dhami instructed expert institutions to take necessary action and implement immediate protective measures if any danger is detected. He has called for an aerial survey, manual survey, and satellite survey to be conducted, with a report to be submitted soon.
It may be recalled here that Dhami is currently at Ground Zero in Mana, supervising rescue mission. During an aerial survey in Mana, Dhami observed that the Alaknanda River appeared to have frozen due to heavy snowfall. Expressing concern, he directed officials to conduct a detailed reconnaissance to assess potential risks arising from the situation.
Authorities remain on high alert, monitoring the situation closely to mitigate any potential hazards in the avalanche-prone region.
