Uttarakhand Avalanche: Death Toll Reaches 8 As 53-Hour Search Operation Concludes; 46 Rescued Workers Undergoing Treatment

Uttarakhand Avalanche: Death Toll Reaches 8 As 53-Hour Search Operation Concludes; 46 Rescued Workers Undergoing Treatment

Dehradun: The bodies of the last four missing workers in the Badrinath avalanche were found on Sunday at the site of the tragedy-hit BRO camp near the Mana village of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district as rescuers recovered the day's last and fourth missing worker's body during the intensive search taken up with the help of sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras and helicopters.

With this, the final death toll in the Chamoli tragic glacial burst rose to 8 on the second and final day of rescue operations, officials said. The rescue operations lasted 53 hours in the very low temperature prevailing in the high-altitude BRO camp near Mana.

The avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp located in the high-altitude zone between Mana and Badrinath on Friday, burying 54 workers inside eight containers and a shed. Earlier, it was believed that the total number of avalanche-hit labourers was 55, but one of them was on unauthorised leave and had reached home safely.

Of the 46 rescued workers, 45 are being treated in an Army hospital in Jyotirmath, while one with a spinal cord injury was airlifted to AIIMS, Rishikesh. Eight workers lost their lives at the end of the search operations.

Read More Bihar Elections: Prashant Kishor unveils Rs 2,000 monthly pension plan for senior citizens

Details of the deceased

Read More Shashi Tharoor's Moscow visit explained: His French rebuke to Pakistan, talks with Lavrov and more

On Saturday, the bodies of four workers were found. They were identified as Jitendra Singh (26) of Bilaspur, Alok Yadav of Kanpur, Manjeet Yadav of Sarwan - all residents of Uttar Pradesh - and Mohinder Pal (42) of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.

Read More Shah inaugurates National Turmeric Board in Telangana

The bodies of four workers found on Sunday were those of Harmesh Chand (31) of Una, Himachal Pradesh; Anil (21) of Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand; Ashok (28), resident of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh; and Arvind, resident of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

CM reviewed rescue operations

Earlier in the day, the government escalated efforts for the missing workers as time was running out for the search in the high-altitude zone. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also visited the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operation Centre to get an update on the rescue operation.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "The ground penetrating radar (GPR) system is being sent to the avalanche site and help of modern tools like thermal imaging camera and victim locating camera are being taken to trace the labourer still missing. The weather may turn bad again on Monday. The effort is to trace the missing on Sunday itself".

    In a post on X, Dhami said he had instructed officials to expedite the ongoing operation. "The Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF and other relief and rescue teams are working on a war footing at the site of the incident," he said.

    Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said the search operation is expected to gain pace as the weather is clear, and the GPR system from Delhi is expected to arrive here any moment to aid the efforts.

    An Mi-17 helicopter is waiting in Dehradun to fly the GPR system to the avalanche site, he said. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with sniffer dogs are 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, were at the avalanche site and monitored 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 - were engaged in the operations. Located three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border, positioned at a height of 3,200 metres above sea level.

    Tags:

    About The Author

    Aryan Age Picture

    Welcome to Aryan Age, an English newspaper that has been serving readers since 2011 from Delhi. With a loyal circulation of over 19,000, we are dedicated to providing our readers with the latest news and information, as well as insightful analysis and commentary that help them navigate the complex and rapidly changing world.

    Post Comment

    Comment List

    Latest News

    CM Dr. Yadav extends greetings to doctors on National Doctors Day CM Dr. Yadav extends greetings to doctors on National Doctors Day
    Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav expressed gratitude on National Doctors' Day towards the doctors who are playing an important role...
    "Ek Bagiya Maa Ke Naam" to Become a New Source of Livelihood, Benefitting Women : CM Dr. Yadav
    CM Dr. Yadav extends greetings on Chartered Accountants Day

    Live Cricket Score

    Advertisement

    Science & Tech

    Oppo K13x 5G launched under Rs 12,000 in India: 6,000mAh battery, 50MP camera Oppo K13x 5G launched under Rs 12,000 in India: 6,000mAh battery, 50MP camera
    New Delhi: Oppo has officially launched its latest budget 5G smartphone, the Oppo K13x, in India. Aimed at the sub-Rs...
    OnePlus 15 may drop Hasselblad cameras: Major imaging shift revealed in leak

    Health

    Is it just burnout or something serious? When should you take brain fog seriously, doctor answers Is it just burnout or something serious? When should you take brain fog seriously, doctor answers
    New Delhi: In today’s world, feeling mentally exhausted is very common. This can have a significant impact on our mental...
    World Multiple Sclerosis Day 2025: 5 tips to manage the condition better, according to experts

    Lifestyle

    Memory games to mental math: Try these brain exercises to improve your memory Memory games to mental math: Try these brain exercises to improve your memory
    New Delhi: Your brain is one of the most important organs in the body. It controls different functions of the...
    Consume these healthy, low-sodium snacks to satisfy your tea-time cravings, know recipe