Fresh avalanche claims 10 in Chamoli

DEHRADUN:  A little over two months after the deadly glacier burst and avalanche that claimed hundreds of lives in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, a similar incident has hit the same district. There was another avalanche caused presumably by a glacier break in Malari-Sumna region in Niti Valley near the Tibet border on Friday. A total of 10 bodies have been recovered and 384 persons rescued.

Swati Bhadauria, district magistrate of Chamoli, said: “Rescue operations are underway and the injured have been airlifted to Joshimath. One has to be referred to in Dehradun.” Officials said that a majority of the victims are from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. There are also a few from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and elsewhere. They were working at a road project under the Border Roads Organisation. According to estimates, around 430 persons were staying in two camps for the workers when the avalanche followed by the glacier break struck. 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat after conducting an aerial survey said: “Operations by combined teams of Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and district administration are underway in full swing. No damages have been reported from nearby villages.”
The avalanche hit the camp at around 4pm.

Rescue operations were launched immediately, but efforts got delayed due to bad weather. Though an army camp is located at about just three kilometres from the spot, snowfall and rain impeded rescue efforts. Officials from BRO said that access points are blocked. The higher reaches of hilly areas of Uttarakhand including Niti Valley received 4-5 feet of snowfall recently.