A large-scale rescue operation is in progress in Badrinath, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, after an avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near the border village of Mana on Friday, leaving around 25 workers trapped under snow.

At the time of the incident, 57 workers were present at the site. So far, 32 individuals have been rescued and shifted to an Army camp near Mana village, with some reported to be in critical condition.

The avalanche, which hit in the morning between Mana and Mana Pass, buried laborers engaged in clearing snow to facilitate Army movement along the India-Tibet border.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed the incident, stating that rescue teams were struggling against harsh weather, heavy snowfall, and rough terrain to free those still trapped. No casualties have been confirmed yet.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami assured that all possible measures were being taken to ensure the safe evacuation of the workers. "Of the 57 trapped BRO laborers, 16 have been rescued. The operation is ongoing with support from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other agencies. Disaster management teams and local administration are on high alert," he posted on X.

Specialized teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to the remote location, approximately 300 km from Dehradun. However, continuing snowfall and extreme weather conditions are hampering the pace of the operation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chief Minister Dhami to assess the situation, emphasizing that the top priority is the safe evacuation of all those still trapped.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also addressed the crisis, confirming that every possible resource is being utilized for the rescue. "An unfortunate avalanche has impacted the GREF (General Reserve Engineering Force) camp of BRO in Mana. I have spoken with the Chief Minister, and the administration is extending full support to those affected," he said.

Warnings Issued Prior to Avalanche

Authorities had been on alert for extreme weather before the incident. The Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) in Chandigarh had issued an avalanche warning on Thursday at 5 PM for areas above 2,400 meters in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar districts.

Additionally, the Meteorological Office in Dehradun had forecasted heavy rain and snowfall in areas above 3,500 meters on Friday morning. Based on these warnings, the State Emergency Operations Centre had already notified district officials to take precautions.