DEHRADUN, FEB 28: A massive avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, trapping 57 labourers engaged in snow-clearing work. Rescue teams have so far managed to pull out 16 individuals safely, while 41 remain trapped under the snow.
As per Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, the avalanche buried a BRO camp situated between Mana and Badrinath, making rescue operations extremely challenging due to heavy snowfall and rain. No casualties have been reported so far.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured that all available resources were being deployed to rescue the trapped personnel. “An unfortunate avalanche has occurred in the Mana area of Joshimath, impacting the GREF camp of BRO. Spoke to CM Shri Pushkar Dhami regarding the situation. The administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected,” he stated on X.
The avalanche hit the area in the morning while the labourers were at the camp. These workers are regularly engaged in clearing snow along key army routes leading to the India-Tibet border. Officials noted that poor weather conditions, including ongoing snowfall and rain, were slowing down rescue operations.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been dispatched to the location, approximately 300 km from Dehradun, to aid in the rescue efforts. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is also assisting in the operation.
Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami stated that the state’s disaster management department and the administration were on high alert. “Out of the 57 trapped BRO labourers, 16 have been rescued. Efforts are underway to bring the rest to safety,” he said, adding that the rescue teams were working tirelessly despite adverse conditions.
The Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) had issued an avalanche warning on Thursday for locations above 2,400 meters in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar districts. The Meteorological Department had also predicted heavy snowfall in areas above 3,500 meters, prompting the State Emergency Operations Centre to alert local authorities.
Dhami, in an earlier post on X, expressed concern over the situation, stating, “Received the sad news about several labourers getting trapped in an avalanche near Mana village during construction work by BRO. ITBP, BRO, and other rescue teams have launched relief and rescue operations. I pray to Lord Badri Vishal for their safety.”
Rescue efforts are ongoing as teams battle against challenging weather conditions to reach the remaining trapped workers.
