Chamoli Tragedy: 60-Hour Rescue Operation Saves 46 Lives, 8 Dead

Chamoli (The Uttam Hindu)- Eight people died in the severe snowstorm and avalanche in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. The army confirmed this on Sunday evening. With this, the relief and rescue operation was also ended.

55 workers of BRO camp in Mana area of Chamoli were caught in the grip of a snowstorm. Brigade Commander of the area, Brigadier Mandeep Dhillon said that eight people have died in this accident. During the rescue operation, the eighth body was found buried in the snow on Sunday evening. The body of the last missing worker was recovered at 4:43 pm on Sunday evening. After this, the death toll has gone up to eight. Out of the 55 workers caught in the avalanche, 46 were already rescued. One worker reached his home on his own. At the same time, the bodies of eight other missing workers have been recovered. The bodies of four of these were recovered on Sunday.

The Indian Army, which is engaged in relief and rescue operations, has expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of the workers who lost their lives in the unfortunate natural disaster. Brigadier Mandeep Dhillon said that many lives were saved here due to the tireless and professional rescue operations carried out by the joint efforts of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, ITBP, NDRF, Border Roads and the State Government.

It is worth noting that snowfall and rain continued to create problems during relief and rescue operations in this snowy area. The Indian Army has appreciated the efforts of all the soldiers and personnel who braved bad weather and terrain to carry out this rescue operation. Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army's Central Command, personally monitored the ongoing search and rescue operations. He also visited the avalanche site in Uttarakhand to coordinate. Special reconnaissance radars, UAVs, quadcopters and dogs specialized in avalanche rescue were deployed to locate survivors. Army helicopters were continuously working to transport the necessary equipment forward. With the help of helicopters, many injured were evacuated and taken to the hospital