Chamoli avalanche death toll reaches 15

The snow avalanche, which occurred at around 4 pm on Friday, hit Sumna area near the border at an altitude of over 11,000 ft when several labourers of Border Road Organisation were working at the site.

Updated on: Apr 27, 2021, 07:45:58 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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With the recovery of four more bodies by the Indian Army, the death toll in the avalanche that hit Niti Valley area of Chamoli near Indo-China border last week rose to 15 on Monday, officials said.

IAF carried out a rescue operation at the site of avalanche, in the Sumna area of Joshimath Sector, in Chamoli on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

Swati Bhadoria, Chamoli district magistrate, said two bodies were recovered on Sunday night while two more were recovered on Monday. She added that the bodies were being brought to Joshimath in Chamoli area for post-mortem and completion of other formalities so that death certificates could be issued as soon as possible.

Bhadoria also said that at least three to four persons are still believed to be missing. As many as 384 people who were working with BRO were shifted to a safer location, she added.

The snow avalanche, which occurred at around 4 pm on Friday, hit Sumna area near the border at an altitude of over 11,000 ft when several labourers of Border Road Organisation were working at the site. A search and rescue operation was immediately initiated by the personnel of the Indian Army’s Central Command to rescue the trapped persons.

Seven persons were injured in the incident. While one of them was brought to Dehradun, the remaining were taken to AIIMS Rishikesh for treatment.

The avalanche occurred less than 100km from Raini village which was affected by a glacier breach on February 7. The glacier breach which triggered an avalanche and deadly floods in Chamoli district, killed at least 72 people and destroyed two hydroelectric projects.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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