Uttarakhand Avalanche Horror: 50 Workers Rescued, But the Search for Missing Continues—Here’s What We Know

Rescue efforts are in full swing after a devastating avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near Mana and Badrinath early Friday morning, trapping 55 workers.

An Army spokesperson confirmed that six helicopters—three from the Indian Army Aviation, two from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and one civil helicopter hired by the Army—have been deployed for the ongoing rescue operations. By Friday night, 33 workers had been successfully rescued. The avalanche, which occurred between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., buried the workers inside eight containers and a shed, prompting large-scale efforts to locate and save those still trapped.

 With improved weather conditions on Saturday, helicopters were able to join the ongoing rescue mission. District Disaster Management Officer N.K. Joshi reported that Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel stationed in Mana resumed rescue efforts early in the morning. Officials confirmed that 14 more laborers were pulled out from the snow, while the search continues for the remaining eight who have now been trapped for over 24 hours.

Three critically injured laborers, who were rescued on Friday and initially treated at the ITBP hospital in Mana, were airlifted to Jyotirmath Army Hospital, according to Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari. He expressed hope that the clear weather would accelerate rescue operations.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is expected to visit the avalanche-hit area. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority reported that the trapped laborers are from multiple states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, though only 10 names were listed without state details. Over 65 personnel are engaged in rescue efforts. Mana, the last Indian village near the India-Tibet border, sits at an altitude of 3,200 meters, three kilometers from Badrinath.