The Army recovered two more bodies on Sunday during the ongoing search operation at the site of the avalanche that struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Efforts continue to locate the last remaining worker who is still missing.
According to information provided by the PRO (Defence) Dehradun, 53 of the 54 workers trapped under snow following the February 28 avalanche have now been rescued.
Rescue personnel are employing advanced equipment, including thermal imaging cameras and helicopters, to aid the search operations that resumed for the second day on Sunday morning after being briefly suspended due to heavy snowfall on Saturday evening.
Providing an update on the rescue efforts, Lt. Col. Manish Shrivastava, PRO (Defence) Dehradun, stated, “53 out of 54 workers have been rescued now. One person is still missing, and the search and rescue operation remains ongoing.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that multiple forces, including the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are working in close coordination to provide assistance in the rescue efforts.
He added that ground-penetrating radar, thermal imaging cameras, and victim-locating cameras are being deployed to locate the missing worker. Despite improving weather conditions in the area, the risk of further avalanches remains high, prompting authorities to suspend work in high-altitude areas as a precautionary measure.
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari provided further clarity on the situation, saying, “Doctors confirmed four deaths yesterday. Initially, the total number of trapped workers was believed to be 55, but we later confirmed that one worker was on unauthorized leave and safe at home. This reduced the total count to 54, out of which one individual remains missing.”
In a bid to expedite search operations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed a Mi-17 helicopter equipped with a drone-based Intelligent Buried Object Detection System on Sunday. Meanwhile, injured BRO workers continue to be airlifted to the Joshimath Army Hospital for further treatment.
IAF Cheetah helicopters have been actively engaged in the rescue operations since Saturday, ensuring rapid response and support in this ongoing mission.