Officials informed today that not less than 41 workers are trapped under the avalanche in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The incident occurred near the bordering village of Mana region, about five kilometers from the famous Hindu temple of Badrinath.
The official said that of the 57 workers, so far 16 have been rescued and evacuated to the army camp near Mana village in a serious condition.
Three to four ambulances were dispatched to the site but were delayed due to heavy snow, BRO (Border Roads Organisation) Executive Engineer CR Meena told the news agency ANI. “There are about 60 to 65 people working in rescue operations.”
A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has left from Joshimath. The army has been requested to clear the path at Lambagad, which is blocked due to road blockage at this time. An additional team is on standby at Sahastradhara helipad and once the weather improves, SDRF’s high-altitude rescue team will be airlifted by helicopter to the nearest location.
The SDRF drone team is also on alert but because of heavy snowfall, operations of the drone have become impossible, Ridhim Agarwal, Inspector General of Police, SDRF said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured the undertaking of relief and rescue operations. He also tweeted: “I pray to Lord Badri Vishal for the safety of all the labour brothers.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several hilly regions, including Uttarakhand, predicting very heavy rain (up to 20 cm) till Friday late night.
The IMD has predicted that the impact of heavy rain will result in localized flooding of roads, waterlogging in low-lying areas, and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas. Reduced visibility from heavy rainfall and increased travel time due to disruptions in traffic along with some minor damage to unimproved roads will also be expected.
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