Dehradun: Rescuers resumed the search for 22 labourers trapped under several feet of snow in the high-altitude Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Saturday morning as the weather cleared up. According to reports, 47 labourers have been rescued so far, and the search for the remaining eight workers is ongoing. Choppers are likely to be deployed for the operation if the weather permits, an official said.

"Private and IAF choppers will aid the rescue efforts on Saturday if the weather permits. The nearest airstrip at Gauchar has been readied for the purpose," Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer N. K. Joshi stated. "It is a little cloudy at the moment, but once the weather becomes favourable, the helicopters will be pressed into service."

Avalanche buries BRO camp

The avalanche, which buried a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp between Mana and Badrinath, rolled down early on Friday morning.

55 BRO labourers were trapped under the avalanche on Friday, out of which 33 were rescued. Rain and snowfall hampered the rescue efforts, leading to the operation being suspended as night fell.

Army and ITBP resume rescue efforts

Personnel from the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), based in Mana, resumed rescue operations early on Saturday.

"A let-up in rain and snowfall can help speed up efforts to trace the 22 labourers who have been trapped under the snow for more than 24 hours now," an official said.

Chief Minister expected to visit 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is closely monitoring the ongoing rescue and clearance operations from the CM residence and remains in constant touch with officials present at the site to ensure swift action. He is likely to visit the site.

According to a list released by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, the trapped labourers belong to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, among other states. The list includes the names of ten labourers, but their states of origin are not mentioned.

Challenging rescue operations due to heavy snowfall

Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman acknowledged the difficulties in the rescue operation.

"The task is challenging as there is seven feet of snow near the avalanche site," he said. More than 65 personnel have been deployed in the rescue operation.

Mana, located three kilometres from Badrinath, is the last village on the India-Tibet border at an altitude of 3,200 metres.

PTI