A chilling dance of snowy destruction unfurled in Uttarakhand. On Friday morning, an avalanche engulfed 57 workers in snow. From these, 33 workers have been rescued, yet 22 remain trapped beneath. Those recovered have been taken to the nearby Mana village army camp, with four reported to be in serious condition. Once the weather clears, the injured will be airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh. Rescue teams are diligently engaged.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for rain and snowfall in three districts. It warns of snowfall and rain in Chamoli, Pithoragarh, and Rudraprayag by Saturday morning. The public has been urged to exercise caution. On Saturday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will visit the disaster site to assess the situation.
Rescue teams are grappling with significant challenges due to harsh weather, heavy snowfall, and the remote terrain. Both the central and state governments are closely monitoring the incident. The weather across Northern India, from Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh, and further to Jammu & Kashmir, has suddenly shifted. The unexpected weather change in February is startling, where people were feeling warm just before an abrupt snow deluge began. In Uttarakhand, the weather started to change on February 26th, leading to a catastrophic snowstorm within merely two days.
The Incident 3 Kilometers from Badrinath
At 7:15 AM on Friday in Chamoli, an avalanche buried 55 workers under snow. These workers were in 8 containers and a shed. The incident took place three kilometers away from Badrinath in Chamoli’s Mana village, where the Border Roads Organization (BRO) team was working on clearing the snow off the Chamoli-Badrinath Highway. The workers were accompanying the BRO team.
Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman conveyed over the phone to Aaj Tak that the situation in the affected area has slightly improved. During the avalanche, 55 individuals were present. Two workers were on vacation, with 33 rescued, while the search for another 22 continues.
NDRF, ITBP, and Army Join Rescue Efforts
According to the army, upon learning of the incident, over 100 personnel from the Quick Response Team promptly joined the rescue effort, including doctors and ambulance staff. As soon as the snowstorm hit Chamoli, the central government went on high alert. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken cognizance of the situation. Teams from NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, the army, and BRO are dedicated to the rescue efforts. Nonetheless, intense snowfall is complicating rescue operations. With highways buried under snow, reaching the site has posed challenges for NDRF teams.
Most of the workers hail from Punjab, UP, and Haryana. Helicopter and drone teams remain on standby. Adverse weather continues to hamper rescue operations. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rain alert for Uttarakhand until late February 28th, potentially bringing up to 20 cm of rain. Rescue teams extracted workers from damaged containers amidst waist-deep snow where the accident occurred.
