Chamoli Avalanche: Army recovers two more bodies, death count at six; efforts on to rescue last two workers

Earlier, it was said that a total of 55 workers were trapped; however, according to the District Magistrate, one of the workers was on leave and was at home. Hence, the total number of victim workers was 54, out of which four have died while four are still trapped. 

Meanwhile, to intensify the rescue efforts, a team of the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) left from Joshimath with a Victim Locating and Thermal Image Camera to search for the remaining five workers trapped in the avalanche in Mana-Badrinath.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has also been reviewing the rescue operation since day 1. Today, he reached the Disaster Control Room at IT Park, Dehradun, to review the rescue operation going on for the second consecutive day.

As per DM Chamoli Sandeep Tiwari, "Yesterday, doctors have confirmed 4 deaths. Earlier, the total number was 55, but now we have the information that one of the workers was on unauthorized leave, and he is home. The total number has reduced to 54, out of which 4 people are still missing."

Rescue efforts continue

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with sniffer dogs have arrived at the avalanche site to help in the search and rescue efforts, he said.

Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in C, Central Command, and Lt. Gen. D G Mishra, GOC, Uttar Bharat, have reached the avalanche site to monitor the rescue operations. Six helicopters -- three of the Indian Army Aviation Corps, two of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and a civil chopper hired by the Army -- have been engaged in the operation. 

Who are still trapped?

Located three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres. The four labourers still missing are Harmesh Chand from Himachal Pradesh, Ashok from Uttar Pradesh and Anil Kumar and Arvind Singh from Uttarakhand, it added.