PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to expedite the operation for rescuing Border Roads Organisation (BRO) labourers trapped due to an avalanche at Mana near Badrinath in Chamoli district on Friday morning. According to official sources, 32 out of the 57 trapped workers had been rescued by the evening.
Reviewing the rescue operations while chairing a meeting with senior officials at the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) here, he directed officials to reach the avalanche site without delay and open the nearest helipad at the earliest to further speed up the rescue operations. If needed, the injured labourers should be taken by air ambulance to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh. The CM also directed the senior officials to maintain communication and coordination with the Chamoli district administration and provide all required assistance.
Talking to the media after the meeting, the CM said that rescue operations have been underway since the incident was reported. The ITBP, Army, district administration and IAF are involved in the rescue operation. Poor visibility was hampering the use of helicopters, he said. “Our first priority is to rescue the workers safely. All of them hail from different regions and we have issued helpline numbers for anyone seeking information. We are also in contact with the Centre along with the Prime Minister’s office, Home minister and Defence minister. Snowfall is continuing in the area and the roads are blocked. The weather is expected to clear on Saturday, which will further speed up the rescue operation. We are also making the Mana helipad active while all arrangements have been made at AIIMS Rishikesh, Srinagar Medical College hospital and the district hospital at Gopeshwar,” the CM said.
Earlier, Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari informed the CM that information was received about the avalanche between Mana village and Mana Pass. Labourers working to clear snow from the road for the movement of the army were reported to be at the site at the time of the incident.
