Chamoli avalanche: 8 dead, 46 rescued as rescue operation concludes

The rescue operation following the devastating avalanche in Chamoli’s Mana village has officially concluded. After three days of relentless efforts, the final body was recovered on Sunday evening, marking the end of the operation. Manish Srivastava, the Public Relations Officer (Defence), confirmed the conclusion of the mission.

Three days of intensive rescue efforts

The tragedy occurred on February 28 morning when a glacier ruptured close to Mana village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The accident stranded 54 workers employed by a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) contractor in a dangerous position. As soon as news of the tragedy reached them, rescue teams immediately initiated operations to find and rescue people buried under the snow.

Advanced technology aided the mission

Rescue teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) labored for three days to evacuate the workers. Sophisticated equipment like thermal scanners and video cameras were used to detect people buried under piles of snow and rubble. The technologies helped to ensure that 46 workers were saved alive.

Tragic loss of lives

Even as several were successfully rescued, eight of the workers perished in this act of nature. Their bodies were retrieved throughout the operation, the last being done on Sunday night. The tragedy is a grim reminder of the risks encountered by those laboring in dangerous, mountainous terrain.