The search operation to locate four missing labourers at the avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, resumed on Sunday under improved weather conditions, bolstered by the use of sniffer dogs and aerial surveillance.
Body of one more person missing in the avalanche has been recovered by the Army, an official said on Sunday.
With this the death toll in the avalanche has gone up to five and rescuers are continuing efforts to trace the remaining three missing individuals.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari stated that operations would intensify as a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, dispatched from Delhi, was expected to arrive shortly to aid in the efforts.
“An Mi-17 helicopter is on standby in Dehradun to transport the GPR system to the avalanche site,” he added.
State Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman informed that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is about to arrive at the control room, following three previous visits.
He stated that rehabilitation efforts are underway, and the response teams, including the Army, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, and SDRF, are actively engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Earlier, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that four people have lost their lives as they succumbed to critical injuries, while 46 others are stable, with one referred to AIIMS Rishikesh for further treatment.
CM Dhami assured that the bodies would be handed over to the families after completing the necessary formalities. Meanwhile, a search and rescue operation is underway for the four missing workers, with coordinated efforts involving the Army, ITBP, Air Force, NDRF, and SDRF.
The avalanche, which struck between Mana and Badrinath on Friday, buried 55 workers inside eight containers and a shed, the Army confirmed.
However, the official count of those impacted was revised to 54, after one labourer from Himachal Pradesh, who had been on unauthorised leave, was confirmed to have reached home safely.
Rescue teams had recovered 50 labourers from the snow by Friday, though four were found deceased.
The primary focus now is on locating the four missing workers and ensuring the safe evacuation of any remaining stranded personnel.
Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), aided by sniffer dogs, have been deployed at the avalanche site to assist in the rescue efforts.
The operation is also being closely monitored by Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in-C, Central Command, and Lt Gen D G Mishra, GOC, Uttar Bharat, both of whom have reached the site.
Six helicopters have been pressed into service, including three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and a civil chopper hired by the Army.
Situated three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last inhabited village before the India-Tibet border at an altitude of 3,200 metres.
The missing labourers have been identified as Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh, and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand.
Army officials noted that Saturday’s rescue operations had been largely carried out by Army and IAF helicopters, as the approach road remained obstructed by heavy snowfall, rendering vehicular access impossible.
“The priority remains the swift evacuation of rescued workers to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath and locating the four missing labourers,” an Army official said.
Lt Gen Sengupta indicated that, subject to weather conditions, specialised RECCO radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs would be deployed to trace the missing workers.
“Everything depends on the weather,” he remarked.
Over 200 personnel from the disaster management authority, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), BRO, NDRF, SDRF, IAF, district administration, health department, and fire brigade are engaged in the rescue operations.
Also read: Survivor recalls horror: Woke up to mountain of snow
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