Uttarakhand Avalanche: 4 Dead, 46 Rescued; Search Continues for 5 Amid Severe Weather

At least four workers lost their lives after being buried under an avalanche in the high-altitude village of Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The disaster struck on Friday, trapping 55 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers under the snow. While 50 were successfully rescued, efforts continue to locate the remaining five.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that a massive avalanche hit the workers’ camp. “The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Indian Army personnel stationed in the region immediately launched rescue operations despite extreme weather conditions,” he stated.

Harsh Weather Hampers Rescue Operations

Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures disrupted rescue efforts on Friday, forcing authorities to pause operations overnight. As the weather improved on Saturday, air support was deployed to accelerate the search and rescue mission.

According to the Defence PRO in Dehradun, six helicopters have been mobilized for evacuation due to blocked roads—three Cheetah helicopters from the Indian Army, two from the Indian Air Force, and one civil helicopter.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Reviews Situation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche-hit region and visited an injured worker being airlifted to Jyotirmath for treatment.

“Conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche-affected area near Mana in Chamoli district and assessed the situation,” Dhami posted on X. He also directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of affected workers.

The search operation remains ongoing as teams battle challenging conditions to locate the missing workers.