22 workers missing after avalanche hits BRO camp in Chamoli district; 33 rescued

Twenty two construction workers are missing after a massive avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday morning, burying them under snow and debris.

Officials said 33 of the 55 workers who were trapped have been rescued and efforts are on to rescue the remaining 22 workers.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushar Singh Dhami said the workers were being rescued but the bad weather had slowed down the operations. “Visibility is low and choppers can’t fly into the area…. The area is receiving heavy snowfall and rain, which is hampering the rescue efforts,” he said.

The avalanche occurred near a highway along Mana village, the last village before the India-China border, is barely 4km from the Badrinath temple. Officials said the workers had been engaged to keep the 50-km stretch between Mana Pass and Mana village clear of boulders and snow.

Lt Col Manish Srivastava, the Dehradun-based public relations officer, Defence, said a rescue team of 174 personnel of the Indian Army’s IBEX Brigade had been carrying out the rescue operation since 8 am.

“The team is working relentlessly in challenging conditions to conduct search and rescue operations to rescue the trapped people. A specialised medical team comprising two doctors and four ambulances have also been deployed there…. The operation remains ongoing, with all resources focused on saving lives,” he said.

Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said 55 workers were at the BRO camp when the avalanche hit the camp. Two more labourers, who were presumed to be at the camp, were later found to have been on leave.

In Dehradun, the chief minister reached the State Disaster Operations Centre and reviewed the rescue operation with senior officials. The chief minister said efforts by the Army, ITBP, disaster management experts and other agencies to rescue the trapped workers as soon as possible.

Uttarakhand’s State Disaster Response Force commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said teams had been dispatched from Jyotirmath (formerly Joshimath) to the affected site. “Additionally, our high-altitude teams at Gauchar (Chamoli) and Sahastradhara (Dehradun) have been placed on standby.” he said.

BRO commander Colonel Ankur Mahajan said they received information that an avalanche had struck the Mana area at 8am.. “Some workers employed by a contractor were engaged in road construction. We do not have the exact headcount at this time. 10 people have been rescued, three of whom have sustained injuries. They are currently receiving treatment. The affected area is inaccessible, with no mobile connectivity. The road before Hanuman Chatti is blocked, and we are working to clear it. Our teams are making every effort to reach the site,” he added.