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Uttarakhand: BRO personnel missing, Bailey bridge washed away in flash flood
Teams of the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force have been rushed to the spot
A Border Road Organisation (BRO) personnel was reportedly swept away after a flash flood in a stream at Tamaknala, around 45km from Jyotirmath (formerly Joshimath) in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, on Monday evening, officials said.
Disaster management and rehabilitation secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said teams of the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force have been rushed to the spot, while the local administration, police and other departments were carrying out relief and rescue operations.
The search for the missing BRO personnel is underway, officials said.
A Bailey bridge constructed over the stream on the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road also washed away, disrupting connectivity to 16 villages in the Malari area, officials said. The incident took place around 5.45pm when a sudden rise in the water level swept through the area.
Some vehicles, including a camper vehicle, also reportedly swept away by the strong water current but were later recovered, officials said.
“The newly constructed Bailey bridge on the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road was washed away after the water level in Tamak stream rose suddenly around 5.45pm on Monday. A Scorpio, a Bolero camper and another vehicle were also affected when the bridge collapsed. The Scorpio driver, identified as Naik Pankaj Kumar, was reportedly swept away and a search operation is underway,” said Chamoli superintendent of police Surjeet Panwar.
He said the Scorpio has been pulled to a safe location, while heavy rain and darkness were hampering the rescue operation. “The rescue operation is being conducted cautiously given the weather conditions and will be resumed on a larger scale in the morning,” Panwar said.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took cognisance of the incident and directed officials to step up vigilance in lower-lying and vulnerable areas.
He spoke to Suman to take stock of the situation and directed officials to give top priority to relief and rescue operations.
Dhami also directed the administration to ensure that the damaged bridge does not disrupt the supply of ration, food, medicines and other essential commodities to nearby villages. If required, supplies should be routed through alternative roads, he said.
He further directed officials to keep people living near rivers, streams and water channels alert and shift them to safer locations if required. He also stressed effective coordination among all agencies involved in relief and rescue operations.
Vehicular movement towards Malari on the Jyotirmath-Malari road has been completely stopped as a precautionary measure. The administration advised people to stay away from the affected and vulnerable areas and avoid travelling on the route until the situation normalises.
Suman said the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) was monitoring the situation in Chamoli and other vulnerable areas across Uttarakhand round the clock.
Special vigilance is being maintained in low-lying and riverbank areas in view of the possibility of rising water levels and sudden heavy flows in rivers and streams, he said.
Companies operating hydropower projects in the area have also been alerted, while police personnel have been deployed at the site and nearby areas to maintain security.
