Avalanche in Uttarakhand; Four dead, 50 rescued

DEHRADUN: Four workers trapped in an avalanche in Mana, near the Indo-Tibet border, died yesterday morning. One of them died while undergoing treatment. The 50 trapped workers were rescued within 48 hours. The task force said that seven more are yet to be found. The survivors are undergoing treatment at a military hospital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the situation with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

According to the information coming out, workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir were trapped in the avalanche. The details of ten workers are still not available. The avalanche fell on the Border Roads Organization's labor camp between Mana and Badrinath yesterday. At that time, there were 57 workers in eight containers and a shed. A 100-strong team of the Army's IBEX Brigade, which has received specialist training, is carrying out rescue operations in the area. Doctors and ambulances have also been deployed in the disaster area.

Five containers where workers were trapped were found around 11.50 am yesterday and 15 people were rescued. Another 17 people were found by 5 pm. The General Reserve Engineer Force is on the scene to clear the snow on the road. Members of the National and State Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organization, Indo Tibetan Border Police and Uttarakhand Police are carrying out the rescue operations. Adverse weather conditions in the region are posing a major challenge to the rescue operations. Rain, snow-covered roads and communication systems have hampered the rescue operations.