An avalanche struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, trapping 57 workers in Mana village. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) confirmed that all workers were engaged in construction work when the avalanche occurred. As of now, 15 workers have been safely rescued, while efforts continue to rescue the remaining 42 workers. The rescue operation is being led by the Garhwal 9th Brigade and BRO, with additional support from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), district administration, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
For strengthening the rescue operations, an SDRF team has been sent from Joshimath and another is kept on standby in Dehradun which may be airlifted if required. Nevertheless, the protracted extreme weather conditions, in particular active snowing and raining, are an enormous trouble for rescue operation.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, “57 of the BRO workers were trapped in the avalanche, out of which 16 workers have been rescued. All preparations have been made. We are taking help from the ITBP. The district administration and all others are in touch, and we… https://t.co/DCJxI4ykQ9 pic.twitter.com/zayplFhsYv
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2025
On the incident, the Chief Minster of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, posted his reaction on the social media platform ‘X’. He stated, “Sad news has been received about many workers being buried under snow due to avalanche during construction work being conducted by BRO near Mana village in Chamoli district. Relief and rescue operations by ITBP, BRO, and other rescue agencies are ongoing. I wish for the safety of all labour brothers just like Lord Badri Vishal.
District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Tiwari of the Chamoli District confirmed the avalanche and outlined the rescue operation in progress. He stated, “Around 57 labourers of BRO, who undertake snow-clearing operations, had camped there. Our personnel have been deployed – ITBP, SDRF, and administration. There is ongoing rainfall and snowfall over the region and helicopter operations to provide rescue missions are not feasible at the moment. Mobility is limited, and we have no communication equipment in the form of satellite phones or the like and therefore only very limited reports from the site. However, no official casualties have been reported so far. We are receiving full support from higher authorities, and we hope that our teams will reach the site soon and rescue the trapped workers safely.”
“जनपद चमोली में माणा गांव के निकट BRO द्वारा संचालित निर्माण कार्य के दौरान हिमस्खलन की वजह से कई मजदूरों के दबने का दुःखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। ITBP, BRO और अन्य बचाव दलों द्वारा राहत एवं बचाव कार्य संचालित किया जा रहा है। भगवान बदरी विशाल से सभी श्रमिक भाइयों के सुरक्षित होने की… pic.twitter.com/0DpWxrx8lj
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 28, 2025
The avalanche sheds light on the risks involved when working at high altitudes, especially during winter. The Indian Meteorological Department and disaster management agencies often sound warnings to warn people and personnel about the possible occurrence of avalanches in these regions. Even with these warnings, however, capricious weather and difficult terrain conditions make such disasters almost impossible to prevent.
Earlier on Thursday, the Lahaul and Spiti Police in Himachal Pradesh had issued an avalanche alert for the region. According to their advisory, which was based on information from the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) and Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), there was a snow avalanche warning (Danger Level 3, Orange) for Lahaul and Spiti district until 28th February 2025 at 5:00 PM IST. The advisory warned travelers and locals to exercise caution, restrict movement to designated safe routes, and avoid high-risk slopes where medium-sized avalanches could be triggered.
#WATCH | Heavy snowfall continues near Mana in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
57 labourers engaged in snow clearance near Mana trapped after an avalanche hit the area. 10 labourers have been rescued; search and rescue mission for the remaining persons is underway.
(Video… pic.twitter.com/BpFHWVgXbA
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2025
This unfortunate incident in the Chamoli district highlights the extreme relevance of preparedness, effective rescue efforts, and anticipatory safety systems on the slopes of the avalanche zone. The combined efforts of the BRO, ITBP, SDRF, and NDRF demonstrate the commitment of authorities to ensuring the safety of workers and minimizing loss of life during such natural calamities. Rescue efforts continue to be precarious owing to difficult weather conditions faced by rescue teams as they attempt to reach and extricate the remaining trapped personnel.
In the meantime, families of the trapped staff come to expect and fear news both. The government has pledged all of the necessary support to the impacted employees and their families, reaffirming its commitment to worker safety in precarious jobs. As the rescue operation progresses, authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring that all possible measures are taken to bring back the stranded workers safely.
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