Uttarakhand: 25 workers trapped, 32 rescued after avalanche near Mana village
A snowstorm in the region has adversely impacted the rescue operations.
Of the 57 workers who were trapped at a Border Roads Organisation project site near Uttarakhand’s Mana after an avalanche on Friday, 32 have been rescued so far, reported ANI.
Rescue operations to pull out the remaining 25 workers are ongoing. However, a snowstorm in the region has adversely impacted the work, according to The Indian Express.
The avalanche struck between Mana and Mana Pass at 5 am, according to India Today. The workers were engaged in snow-clearing operations essential for Army movement. Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.
Teams from the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organisation, the Indian Army and the Indo Tibetan Border Police have been mobilised for the rescue operations.
Sandeep Tiwari, the district magistrate of Chamoli, stated that the rescue teams have been unable to utilise helicopter services due to heavy snowfall. “Also, they do not have a satellite phone or other devices to communicate with them,” he said.
#WATCH | Chamoli DM Sandeep Tiwari says, "...Information about an avalanche has been received. Around 57 labourers of BRO (Border Roads Organisation), who undertake snow-clearing operations, had camped there. Our teams have been mobilised - ITBP, SDRF and Administration. There is… https://t.co/DCJxI4ykQ9 pic.twitter.com/ETGDW0u53M
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2025
In a social media post, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that he had spoken with the Uttarakhand chief minister, and the director generals of the Indo Tibetan Border Police and the National Disaster Response Force.
“Our priority is to safely evacuate the people trapped in the accident,” he wrote. “The local administration is engaged in rescue operations with full readiness.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was quoted as saying by The Indian Express that the injured workers were being treated at a hospital run by the Indo Tibetan Border Police. “We are monitoring and trying to help all the labourers get out,” he stated. “Srinagar Medical College and Rishikesh AIIMS have also been readied.”
The Uttarakhand government has issued the helpline numbers for assistance: 8218867005, 9058441404, 0135 2664315 and 1070, ANI reported.
The State Disaster Management Authority has issued an advisory, warning of heavy rainfall and snowfall in parts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar, reported The Indian Express.
