Uttarakhand: 4 Army choppers join Chamoli avalanche rescue ops, search for remaining 8 workers intensifies

Chamoli: Four Army choppers have been pressed into rescue operations to save eight people still trapped under snow in the avalanche that struck near Mana Village in Chamoli district of the state, district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said on Saturday. A total of 47 out of the 55 trapped workers have been rescued so far, he said. The Chamoli District Magistrate further said four helicopters have arrived with the help of Centre and State governments have joined the rescue operations. “Of the total 55 people, 47 have been rescued from Mana. We have brought seven people to Joshimath Hospital, and they are under treatment. They are under doctors’ observation. Three of them are stable…I hope that the remaining people will also be rescued soon.” Workers of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had got trapped under snow when the avalanche struck on Friday and teams from the NDRF, Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police working on a war footing in a joint operation have managed to pull out 47 workers out of the 55 people trapped so far and the search for eight remaining have intensified. Chamoli District Magistrate said, “Thirty three people were rescued initially, out of which three were critically injured. They were treated at Mana’s Army Hospital, and today, they have been brought to the Military Hospital in Joshimath.” “Today, 14 more workers were rescued, bringing the total number of rescues to 47. Relief and rescue operations are ongoing with full force,” officials said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is closely monitoring the situation and receiving updates at every moment. Helicopter services have been deployed to aid evacuation efforts. In a post on X he shared an update this morning, “During the rescue operation being carried out to rescue the workers trapped in the avalanche near Mana, 14 other workers have also been rescued safely. The rescued workers are being provided better health facilities. Three seriously injured workers have been sent to Army Hospital, Jyotirmath, for treatment.” Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister and reviewed the rescue operation. “Respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji spoke on the phone and took information about the rescue operation being carried out to safely evacuate the workers trapped in Mana of Chamoli district,” CM Dhami posted on X. CM Dhami had visited the disaster control room in Dehradun to review the rescue efforts. The Uttarakhand government had issued helpline numbers on Friday for people to get assistance or information related to the avalanche. According to the the state government’s Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), people are encouraged to contact the helpline numbers, which are being operated through the state emergency operation centre of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority. Yesterday, Indian Air Force has kept its medium-lift chopper Mi-17 V5s and light helicopters ready for relief operations. Indian Air Force Officials said that as soon as the weather conditions improve in the area, the Indian Air Force will be ready to deploy its assets for relief operations in coordination with the local administration: The Uttarakhand government has issued the following helpline numbers: Mobile No: 8218867005, 9058441404; Telephone No: 0135 2664315; Toll-Free No: 1070.