Uttarakhand avalanche: Death toll climbs to 7, search on for one missing worker

Chamoli: The death toll in the Chamoli avalanche in Uttarakhand's Mana region has climbed to seven, with rescue officials pulling out three more bodies on Sunday. Meanwhile, the search operation for one missing worker is continuing. 

The total number of people recovered from the avalanche has reached 53, including the seven workers who were found dead.

Rescue efforts resumed early on Sunday after clear weather allowed teams to intensify their search, IANS reported, adding that helicopters were also deployed to assist in the mission.

The avalanche struck Mana village on Friday night and initially trapped 55 workers. Swift and coordinated efforts by the Army, ITBP, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) led to the rescue of 46 workers.

"We are deploying advanced technology, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR), thermal imaging cameras, and victim-locating cameras, to aid in the search," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. "Today's clear weather is in our favour, but high alert warnings have been issued for tomorrow. Those working in high-altitude areas have been advised to halt work due to the high possibility of snowfall and avalanches," he said.

The Chief Minister said efforts are being made to restore communication and power in the affected areas. "Several villages have been cut off, and arrangements are being made for food supplies. Power had been disrupted in five blocks, but partial restoration has been achieved. Since the affected site is near Mana, all types of communication have been severed, and efforts are underway to reestablish connectivity," he said.

The avalanche struck between 5:30 am and 6:00 am on Friday, burying 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- is continuing despite challenging terrain and extreme weather.