Uttarakhand Avalanche: Indian Army Rescues 46, 8 Lives Lost in Mana Tragedy

Uttarakhand Avalanche: The Indian Army on Sunday successfully rescued all 54 people trapped in the Mana avalanche in Uttarakhand after an extensive search and rescue operation. Unfortunately, eight lives were lost in the disaster.

The final missing body was recovered at 4:43 PM today, bringing an end to the operation.

"Recovery of the body of the last missing worker at 1643 hours today brought the death toll to eight and marked the culmination of the Search and Rescue Operations in the Mana Avalanche," said Brigadier MS Dhillon, Commander IBEX Brigade.

Relentless Efforts by Rescue Teams

The avalanche struck a few days ago in Mana, where several Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers were present. The Army, along with BRO, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, and district officials, launched a joint operation to locate and rescue those trapped under the snow.

Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that all 54 trapped individuals were retrieved.

"Out of them, 46 were rescued alive, and eight people have died. One body was retrieved just a short while ago. Postmortem and legal formalities have been completed, and the bodies are being sent to their respective addresses after contacting family members," he said.

He also acknowledged the continuous support from the central and state governments, which played a crucial role in the successful rescue of 46 people despite the massive avalanche.

Also Read: Mana Avalanche Tragedy: Search Operation Concludes With Recovery Of Final Missing BRO Worker's Body, Death Toll Reaches 8

CM Dhami Commends Rescue Teams

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his gratitude to the rescue teams for their quick and coordinated response.

"An avalanche occurred a couple of days ago at India's first village - Mana - where several BRO workers were working. Following this, a rescue operation was jointly launched by Army, BRO, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, district officials, etc., and rescued 46 people alive. It was a challenging task, but thanks to everyone, it (rescue operation) has been a success," said CM Dhami.

Mission Accomplished Despite Harsh Conditions

The rescue teams battled extreme weather and treacherous terrain to complete the operation. Their efforts have been widely appreciated, as they saved dozens of lives in one of the worst avalanches to hit the region in recent times.