Daijiworld Media Network- Chamoli
Chamoli, Mar 2: The death toll in the Chamoli avalanche in Uttarakhand's Mana region has risen to seven after rescue teams recovered three more bodies on Sunday. Efforts are underway to locate one remaining missing worker, officials said.
With this, the total number of recovered individuals has reached 53, including the seven deceased workers.
Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Disaster Operations Centre and held a high-level review meeting to monitor ongoing rescue operations in Chamoli.
Search operations resumed early Sunday morning as improved weather conditions allowed teams to intensify efforts. Helicopters have also been deployed to assist in the mission.
The avalanche struck Mana village in the early hours of Friday, trapping 55 workers. A swift and coordinated rescue operation by the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) led to the rescue of 46 workers. However, four workers were found dead initially, while four remained missing.
Chief Minister Dhami stated that advanced technology, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR), thermal imaging cameras, and victim-locating devices, is being deployed to speed up the search.
"Today’s clear weather is in our favour, but a high alert has been issued for tomorrow due to the possibility of heavy snowfall and avalanches. Work in high-altitude areas has been temporarily halted for safety," he said.
He further emphasized that the top priority remains locating the missing workers at the earliest. "The Army, ITBP, NDRF, BRO, and Air Force are working in close coordination, while the Health Department is actively involved in rescue operations," he added.
Efforts are also underway to restore essential services in affected areas. Several villages remain cut off, and arrangements are being made to ensure an adequate supply of food and necessities. Power outages were reported in five blocks, but partial restoration has been achieved.
The avalanche, which struck between 5:30 and 6:00 AM on Friday, buried 55 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers inside eight containers and a shed.
The large-scale rescue operation, involving multiple agencies—including the Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, BRO, Health Department, local administration, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), and the Indian Air Force—continues despite extreme weather and challenging terrain.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly, and while no further casualties have been reported, efforts remain focused on locating the last missing worker.