Badrinath avalanche: Death toll rises to 5, rescue of 3 trapped workers in Uttarakhand underway
Badrinath avalanche: Death toll rises to 5, rescue of 3 trapped workers in Uttarakhand underway
Digital Desk: In a developing update on the massive avalanche that buried 54 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers in Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, so far, rescue personnel have saved 46 workers, but five were sadly killed.
Moreover, the hunt for the remaining three missing laborers continues, with numerous agencies utilizing advanced technology and aircraft support to locate them.
Heavy snowfall and rain hampered rescue efforts on Friday, causing operations to be halted overnight. However, with clear weather on Sunday, the mission's pace has risen.
Personnel from the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working hard to find the missing workers. Over 200 people are involved in the high-intensity rescue operation.
Furthermore, sniffer dogs have been dispatched to Chamoli to assist in rescue operations.
Initially, five employees were reported missing. However, Sunil Kumar from Himachal Pradesh was able to return home safely on his own, bringing the total number of missing workers down to four.
The avalanche buried eight worker accommodations (containers) at the BRO campsite. While five were discovered previously, the remaining three have since been located.
Sadly, no workers were found inside, raising questions regarding the whereabouts of the missing personnel.
To find buried individuals, specialized rescue instruments such as Victim Locating Cameras (VLC), Thermal Imaging Cameras, Ground Penetration Radar (brought in from Delhi), and avalanche rescue dogs have been deployed. If the weather allows, drones, quadcopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be deployed in the search.
The rescue operations have involved six helicopters, including two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), three from the Army Aviation Corps, and a civil aircraft that the Army rented. Cheetah helicopters of the Indian Air Force are still transporting injured employees to the Army Hospital in Joshimath.
An avalanche has blocked the Badrinath-Joshimath highway, making it challenging for rescue personnel to get to the scene.
Rescuers and equipment are being transported by Army and IAF helicopters. Operations are supervised by Lieutenant General DG Mishra and Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta. In addition to praising the rescue forces' prompt response, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed officials to conduct the search like a war.
