March 2nd 2025.
In Dehradun, the search for four missing labourers who were caught in an avalanche at a BRO camp in Mana village, Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, has resumed on Sunday. The search team is using sniffer dogs and helicopters to aid in their efforts.
According to Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, the search operation is expected to be more successful today as the weather is clear. Additionally, a ground penetrating radar system from Delhi is on its way to the site, which will greatly assist in the search.
Tiwari also mentioned that an Mi-17 helicopter is waiting in Dehradun to transport the GPR system to the avalanche site. The avalanche struck the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath on Friday, trapping 55 workers in eight containers and a shed, as confirmed by the Army.
However, the number of missing workers has now been revised to 54, as one of them from Himachal Pradesh had taken unauthorized leave without informing his employers and has since returned home safely. Out of the 55 workers, 50 were rescued on Friday, but unfortunately, four of them did not survive.
The focus of the operation now is to locate the missing workers and evacuate those who are still stranded. State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force teams, along with sniffer dogs, have also arrived at the site to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
The GOC-in-C, Central Command, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, and GOC, Uttar Bharat, Lt Gen D G Mishra, have reached the avalanche site to monitor the rescue operations. Six helicopters, including three from the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two from the Indian Air Force, and one hired by the Army, are being used in the operation.
Mana, which is situated at an altitude of 3,200 metres and is the last village on the India-Tibet border, is located three kilometers from Badrinath. The four 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 have stated that the rescue operations on Saturday were mainly carried out by Army and IAF helicopters, as the approach road was blocked by snow in multiple places, making it difficult for vehicles to reach the site. Their priority is to bring the rescued workers to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath and continue the search for the missing workers.
In case the weather permits, specialized RECCO radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs will also be used to locate the missing workers, as mentioned by Lt Gen Sengupta. However, everything depends on the weather conditions, he added.
Over 200 personnel from various departments such as the disaster management authority, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, IAF, district administration, health department, and fire brigade are involved in the rescue operations.
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