Chamoli Avalanche: 49 out of 55 trapped workers rescued, says Uttarakhand DM

Speaking to ANI, Tiwari gave an update on the ongoing rescue operation and said, "49 workers have been rescued. 27 have been brought to Joshimath Army Hospital; all are stable... In case there is no snow today, we will be able to clear the road up to Badrinath. 22 personnel are admitted in Mana Army hospital..."

Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke about the ongoing efforts to rescue victims of the avalanche.

Speaking to the media from the Disaster Control Room, "This morning, 14 more people were rescued, and now the total number of rescued people has reached 48. Seven people are still not found and all possible steps are being taken to trace them also."

Describing the challenges faced by the rescue teams, he said, "The situation is challenging because of excess snowfall. More than five blocks in the region have no electricity or internet because of continuous snow. We will restore connectivity in the area as soon as possible."

Dhami also noted that over 200 personnel are actively involved in the rescue operation, with more than 23 people airlifted to Joshimath for medical treatment. "Some of the workers have sustained serious injuries, but most are in stable condition," he added.

Addressing the Prime Minister's involvement, Dhami said, "Prime Minister took stock of the rescue operations this morning. He has assured of all the necessary help."

In light of the hazardous conditions, the Chief Minister emphasised the safety of workers at higher altitudes.

"All people working at higher altitudes across the state have been put on alert. Instructions have been sent to stop work at higher altitudes unless very urgent," he added.

Additionally, Dhami reported that "the flow of water in Alaknanda has nearly stopped because of snow," highlighting further challenges posed by the extreme weather.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the injured Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers who were rescued from the Mana Avalanche site on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the injured workers have been transported to Joshimath for treatment at the Army Hospital.

CM Dhami also met with Army personnel and officials to receive updates on the ongoing rescue and relief operations.

Four Army choppers have been pressed into rescue operations to save the eight people still trapped under snow in the avalanche that struck near Mana Village yesterday, district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said today.

Workers of the Border Roads Organisation 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.

The Uttarakhand government has issued the following helpline numbers: Mobile No: 8218867005, 9058441404; Telephone No: 0135 2664315; Toll-Free No: 1070. (ANI)