Uttarakhand Avalanche Rescue Op Ends As Last Missing Worker's Body Found, Death Toll Rises To 8
In Uttarakhand's avalanche incident, all 54 missing persons have been found, including the last body recovered on Sunday, marking the end of the rescue operation.
The body of the eighth worker missing in the avalanche at Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district was recovered by the Army on Sunday afternoon, marking the culmination of the rescue operation, officials said. Earlier in the day, three more bodies were retrieved as search teams worked to locate the last missing worker.
"All 54 persons have now been rescued or recovered. This marks the culmination of the Mana Village Rescue Operation," said Lt Col Manish Shrivastava, PRO (Defence), Dehradun, as per news agency ANI.
Confirming the death toll, Chamoli Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Abhishek Gupta told news agency PTI, "After the avalanche in Joshimath block, we received seven dead bodies from the administration. One body was found yesterday, and six bodies were recovered today. Postmortem of all these bodies has been completed, and the documents have been submitted to the police. The police have moved all the bodies. An eighth body has been located, but its heli-rescue couldn’t be conducted today. It will be retrieved tomorrow morning."
VIDEO | Uttarakhand Avalanche: Chamoli CMO Abhishek Gupta says, "After the avalanche in Joshimath block, we received seven dead bodies from the administration. One body was found yesterday, and six bodies were recovered today. Postmortem of all these bodies has been completed,… pic.twitter.com/0bbykeu4A5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 2, 2025
According to officials, the search operation resumed on Sunday morning to locate four missing workers believed to be trapped under the snow after an avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project site on February 28. With this, the death toll has risen to eight. Four workers had died on Saturday.
The bodies of the BRO workers recovered from the avalanche site were airlifted today and taken to the Joshimath military hospital, officials said.
A total of 54 workers were buried when the avalanche struck on the morning of February 28. The Army, ITBP, Air Force, NDRF, and SDRF personnel conducted rescue operations over the past two days. The SDRF team continued searching the site using victim-locating and thermal imaging cameras.
Earlier today, a Drone-Based Intelligent Buried Object Detection System was brought to Joshimath and deployed at the avalanche site in Mana to aid the search operation, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed satisfaction with the rescue operation saying, "I can say with great satisfaction that most of the people have been rescued and the search for the rest is ongoing... Uttarakhand is a disaster-prone state; landslides are a challenge here. But the government here has made good arrangements to tackle these incidents."
#WATCH | Haridwar, Uttarakhand | On the Mana (Chamoli) avalanche incident, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, "I can say with great satisfaction that most of the people have been rescued and the search for the rest is ongoing... Uttarakhand is a disaster-prone state;… pic.twitter.com/uQBlc51A2o
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2025
Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari earlier clarified that the total number of trapped workers was initially reported as 55, but one of them was later found to be on unauthorised leave and safe at home, reducing the total to 54. “Yesterday, doctors confirmed four deaths,” he added.
ALSO READ | 'We Heard A Loud Thunder': Uttarakhand Avalanche In Survivor's Words
3 In Critical Condition As Injured Workers Undergo Treatment At AIIMS Rishikesh & Joshimath Army Hospital
Sandeep Singh, Public Relations Officer at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh, provided an update on the injured workers. "The patient airlifted here today is Pawan Kumar, who has sustained a pelvic injury and is undergoing further treatment. Yesterday, Ashok Kumar was brought in with a spinal injury, which has left him unable to move his legs. He is scheduled for surgery today, pending test results," he said.
"Five patients were expected to be brought here, but we later learned that four would be arriving. Other injured workers are being treated at the base hospital," he added.
#WATCH | Mana (Chamoli) avalanche, Uttarakhand | Rishikesh: PRO of AIIMS Rishikesh, Sandeep Singh says, "...5 people were scheduled to be brought here but later we came to know that 4 would be brought here. One Ashok Kumar has been brought here and he has spinal injury. He is… pic.twitter.com/FZQsUgi2R8
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2025
Major Amit Kumar Mishra at the Joshimath Army Hospital informed, “We have 45 patients here. Three are in critical condition—one is bleeding in the liver, and we are trying to manage it by blood transfusion. We are monitoring the situation, but as of now, all are stable.”
#WATCH | Mana (Chamoli) avalanche incident | At Joshimath Army Hospital, Major Amit Kumar Mishra says, "We have 45 patients here. 3 are in critical condition - one is having bleeding in the liver, and we are trying to manage it by blood transfusion... We are monitoring the… pic.twitter.com/ton99HDUeZ
— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2025
CM Dhami Expresses Condolences, Credits PM Modi for Assistance
Speaking to the media, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed condolences for the deceased as he said, "Since the past two days, a rescue operation was going on and the operation is nearly complete. The 46 individuals who were found have been transferred from Badrinath to Joshimath, and two people from Joshimath have been shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh. We pray that everyone recovers soon. Unfortunately, some people are no longer with us, and we pray to God to grant them a place at his holy feet and to give strength to their families to endure this suffering."
He further stated, "During this rescue operation, Prime Minister Modi ji provided all possible assistance and mobilised all the agencies, and the Home Minister and Defence Minister also expressed their concern."
VIDEO | Chamoli avalanche: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) says, "Since the past two days, a rescue operation was ongoing, and the operation is nearly complete. The 46 individuals who were found have been transferred from Badrinath to Joshimath, and two people… pic.twitter.com/gCBP4j7kst
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 2, 2025
On Saturday, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, GOC-in-C, Central Command, and Lt Gen DG Misra, GOC, Uttar Bharat Area, visited the avalanche site to oversee and coordinate rescue efforts. Lt Gen Sengupta said that specialised reconnaissance radars, UAVs, quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs were deployed to locate survivors. Helicopters were continuously used to transport essential equipment and evacuate the injured.
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