In the avalanche that took place in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, 55 workers were trapped in Maanda village. A rescue campaign is underway to save the workers. The Indian Air Force's Cheetah helicopters continue their mission on the third day of the rescue. So far, 50 people have been evacuated, with a total of 46 still alive. Four workers are still reported missing. Over 200 soldiers from ITBP, BRO, SDRF, and NDRF, along with 4 helicopters, are engaged in the rescue effort.
Up to this point, 46 living workers have been brought to the Army Hospital in Joshimath for treatment. Sadly, four people have lost their lives in this disaster, while the search continues for another four.
The rescued workers shared their harrowing experiences with Aaj Tak. They described being in their camp when suddenly a loud explosion-like noise was heard early in the morning. Following that, strong gusts of wind lifted their containers into the air. For a while, no one could comprehend what was going on. It felt like survival was impossible. Then, the army and rescue teams came and saved them.
Source: aajtak
Workers Were Engaged on a Road Construction Project
All workers were part of a road construction project for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a project that continues all year round. However, when snowfall and cold increase, the workers return to their camp. Work only resumes once the weather clears.
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'Fell Near the Alaknanda River...'
Satyaprakash Yadav, a worker from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, recounted, "As soon as we woke up, a gust of wind blew through, and five minutes later the incident happened, and it was terrifying. We had been thrown almost 300 meters away near the Alaknanda River. We had fallen into the valley."
He further detailed that approximately five to ten minutes later, he regained consciousness and emerged outside. Then, 10-12 of them took refuge in an army camp, and were later transported by helicopter to Joshimath.
Read More: Ongoing Rescue Operations in Chamoli's Meena, Teams Hunt for 4 Missing Workers, See More
'Explosion-like Noise, Then Strong Winds...'
A worker from Ballia stated, "Early in the morning, the slide caused snow to fall dramatically. There was chest-level snow. We heard an explosion-like sound, after which the wind picked up intensely. First, we reached a safe spot, and then the army came to our aid. We barely managed to save our lives."
Abhishek from Uttarkashi shared, "The winds were extremely strong. They lifted our container, and after that, there was a complete blackout. We crawled from where we fell, making it to the army guest house on our own."
