Dehradun: A glacier burst at Badrinath Dham near Chamoli in Uttarakhand on Friday, left nearly 40 workers still trapped at the Mana village. The Army has rushed in troops and equipment to the location to try and rescue the workers.
According to sources, an avalanche struck the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) camp at Mana after the glacier burst, trapping 57 workers who were engaged in snow clearance and road construction.
“Sixteen of those trapped were rescued. Efforts are on to rescue the others. Despite continuing heavy snowfall and minor avalanches, the Army’s Ibex Brigade has moved forward men and equipment to the site,” a statement released by the Army’s Central (Surya) Command said.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Warning for several parts of Uttarakhand. Heavy snowfall and rain are expected in Chamoli and Rudraprayag. This will make rescue operations difficult.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told the media that 16 workers have been rescued and help has been sought from the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). District officials said that rescue operations are being hampered due to poor visibility.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has hampered normal life in the lower parts of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. Rivers and nullahs are overflowing and video footage has shown cars and other vehicles getting washed away of stuck in deep slush and debris. Several roads to and from the Kullu district have been blocked.
According to an official, as many as 200 roads had to be closed down due to heavy rains and snowfall. This has cut of parts of Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and Shimla districts from the rest of the state.
Himachal Pradesh faced its worst disaster in 2022 when over 300 people died and property worth several hundred crores was destroyed due to flash floods that occurred after torrential rainfall.
