An avalanche occurred near the border village of Mana, close to Badrinath, at around 7:15 AM, burying several workers under the snow. These laborers were engaged in regularly clearing snow for military movement.

Uttarakhand Glacier Burst: 33 Workers Rescued, 22 Still Missing in Chamoli Avalanche

Amid heavy snowfall in the high-altitude regions of Uttarakhand, an avalanche struck near the border village of Mana in Chamoli district, close to Badrinath, early on Friday morning. Out of the 55 workers trapped under the snow, 33 have been rescued, while search operations continue for the remaining 22.

Rescue Operations Underway

Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation for Uttarakhand, stated that initial reports indicated that 57 workers were trapped. However, local authorities later confirmed that only 55 were present, as two were on leave. By 5 PM, 32 workers had been rescued, with one more pulled out later that night.

CM Dhami Reviews Situation

Suman said, “So far, 33 workers have been rescued, while search operations are ongoing for the remaining 22.” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the State Disaster Operations Center late at night to review the rescue efforts. He directed the deployment of Indian Air Force helicopters, along with those from the state agency UKADA and private firms, to assist in the operations starting Saturday morning.

CM Dhami assured, “We will do everything possible to ensure the safe return of every worker.” He is also expected to visit the avalanche site on Saturday. The avalanche occurred around 7:15 AM, trapping workers under the snow. These laborers were engaged in clearing snow from routes used by the military.

Injured Workers Admitted to Hospital

Upon receiving information about the incident, teams from the police, army, Border Roads Organization (BRO), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the disaster management department rushed to the site. Despite harsh weather conditions, heavy snowfall, and extreme cold, rescue operations commenced immediately.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari reported that 10 workers were initially found by the army and ITBP teams and are currently receiving treatment at an ITBP hospital. The Army’s Public Relations Officer mentioned that four of these workers are in critical condition.

Mana village, located about three kilometers from Badrinath and at an altitude of 3,200 meters, is India’s last village on the India-Tibet border. Visuals from the site show rescue personnel navigating through thick snow-covered landscapes.

Defense and Home Ministers Respond

Following the avalanche, the Indian Army activated its specially trained Ibex Brigade for high-altitude rescues, including medical teams and ambulances.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that rescuing the trapped individuals remains the government’s top priority. In a post on X, he stated that he had spoken to CM Dhami, ITBP, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials regarding the situation.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh assured that all available resources were being used to rescue those trapped. The NDRF deployed four teams to Chamoli, with four additional units on standby, according to NDRF Director General Piyush Anand.

Challenges Due to Extreme Weather

Chamoli’s disaster management officer, N.K. Joshi, said that while army and ITBP teams have been conducting rescue operations since morning, additional teams from outside the region are facing difficulties reaching the site due to harsh weather conditions.

Local residents of Mana noted that the site of the incident is considered avalanche-prone during winter. In previous years, workers were relocated from this camp to Badrinath during extreme weather conditions. However, this year, due to lower snowfall earlier in the season, the camp was not evacuated, leading to workers being caught in the avalanche.

Mana village head Pitambar Singh stated that the avalanche occurred on Nar Parvat, causing the disaster. Badrinath, situated at the base of the Nar and Narayan mountain ranges, lies along the banks of the Alaknanda River.

Rescue operations continue as authorities race against time to locate and save the remaining trapped workers.