The search operation for four missing labourers at the site of an avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, resumed on Sunday with the assistance of sniffer dogs and helicopters.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari stated that with clear weather conditions, the search operation is expected to gain momentum, aided by a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system from Delhi, which is expected to arrive in Dehradun shortly.
An Mi-17 helicopter is on standby in Dehradun to transport the GPR system to the avalanche site.
The avalanche struck the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath on Friday morning, burying 54 workers inside eight containers and a shed. Initially, the number of affected workers was reported as 55, but it was later revised after one worker from Himachal Pradesh, who was on unauthorised leave, returned home safely.
Fifty labourers were rescued from the snow on Friday, four of whom were found dead. The search is now focused on locating the remaining missing workers: Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh, and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand.
The rescue efforts involve personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), BRO, disaster management authorities, district administration, health department, and fire brigade.
More than 200 personnel are engaged in the operation. Six helicopters, including three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two from the IAF, and a civil helicopter hired by the Army, have been deployed.
Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, and Lt Gen D G Mishra, General Officer Commanding, Uttar Bharat, have reached the avalanche site to monitor the rescue operations.
Due to blocked roads and heavy snowfall, aerial operations have played a crucial role in the rescue efforts. Specialised RECCO radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs are on standby, depending on weather conditions.
What Survivors Have To Say?
Survivors recounted the harrowing experience of being trapped under the snow.
Vijay Pandey, one of the rescued workers receiving treatment at the Joshimath Army Hospital, said, “We were in the container when the avalanche hit us, and it swept the container away; we found ourselves in the snow. Nine of us were in the container, and out of which four are admitted here.”
Another survivor described the moment of impact: “It happened so suddenly that we didn’t realise anything. All our containers were destroyed as it was a heavy storm, an avalanche. Anyhow, we managed to rush towards the army camp. What else could the Army and the government have done? The weather was so bad.”
Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the ongoing rescue operation had made progress as weather conditions remained favourable.
“The weather has supported us. A total of 54 BRO workers were reported missing. Out of them, 50 were rescued, while four lost their lives. Four people are still unaccounted for, and search operations are underway. We remain hopeful of finding them soon,” he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Disaster Control Room in Dehradun for the second consecutive day to review the ongoing rescue efforts.
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