Uttarakhand avalanche: Last missing worker's body found, death toll rises to 8 | Top points

Uttarakhand avalanche: The IAF on Sunday airlifted a drone-based intelligent buried object detection system for deployment in search and rescue operations.

Updated on: Mar 2, 2025, 18:23:21 IST

By HT News Desk

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The death toll in the avalanche that hit near Mana village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on February 28, rose to eight on Sunday after the last missing person's body was found.

“The last missing person's body has been found. All the 54 persons have been rescued/recovered. The recovery marks the culmination of Mana Village,” said Rescue Operation Lt Col Manish Shrivastava, PRO (Defence) Dehradun

Army personnel during the rescue operation of BRO workers, who got trapped under heavy snow following the avalanche that struck on 28th Feb, near Mana in Chamoli on Sunday. (ANI)

Rescue operations conducted with the help of the Indian Army, ITBP, Air Force, NDRF, and SDRF who worked collaboratively to evacuate the trapped persons were concluded on Sunday.

ALSO READ: Survivors share Uttarakhand avalanche horror: ‘Heard thunder…couldn’t run'

Here are the top 10 updates on the Uttarakhand avalanche:-

The rescue operation concluded on Sunday after the last missing person's body was found taking the death toll to eight.

2. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday visited the Disaster Control Room at IT Park, Dehradun, for the second consecutive day to review the ongoing rescue operation for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers trapped in Mana.

3. Vijay Pandey, one of the men who was rescued from the avalanche site and admitted to Joshimath Army Hospital, told ANI, "We were in the container when the avalanche hit us, and it swept the container away; we found ourselves in the snow. Nine of us were in the container, and out of which four are admitted here."

ALSO READ: Got swept away: Workers in Chamoli recount harrowing ordeal

4. The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday airlifted a drone-based intelligent buried object detection system for deployment in search and rescue operations. Apart from this, the SDRF communication team from Joshimath left for the Shri Badrinath Dham with a pack repeater for the search and rescue of the missing BRO workers.

5. According to ANI, the state government deployed extensive aerial rescue operations, including one MI-17 helicopter, three Cheetah helicopters, two Uttarakhand government helicopters, and an AIIMS Rishikesh air ambulance for evacuation efforts. CM Dhami had also directed authorities to deploy additional helicopters if required.

6. SDRF's inspector general of police (IG) Ridhim Agarwal said an expert team has been sent to the site of the incident via helicopter from Sahastradhara with a Victim Locating Camera (V.L.C.) and Thermal Image Camera to search for the missing workers.

The search was carried out with the help of this equipment (Victim Locating Camera (V.L.C) and Thermal Image Camera), the SDRF official added.

7. According to ANI, the Army helipad near the Mana base camp was prepared for emergency operations.

8. Heavy snowfall continues to pose challenges, with snow accumulation of 6-7 feet in Badrinath and road closures at multiple locations, the ANI report added.

9. Uttarakhand Sub Area GOC Major General Prem Raj and Brigadier Harish Sethi visited the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) to assess ongoing military-led rescue operations and assured full support.

10. Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari on Saturday said that 24 rescued Border Road Organisation (BRO) workers have been receiving treatment in Joshimath, while one individual has been sent to AIIMS Rishikesh via air ambulance after an injury to his spine.

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HT News Desk
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