Toll Rises to 10, At least 31 Still Missing as Avalanche Hits Joshimath-Sumna Axis in Uttarakhand

Ten people have died and 31 are missing as an avalanche hit a location 4 km ahead of Sumna on Sumna-Rimkhim road in Uttarakhand on Friday at around 4 pm. The area has been experiencing heavy rainfall and snowfall for the past five days. So far 384 people have been rescued. A total of 430 BRO workers were at the road-construction site when the avalanche occurred on Friday, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar said.

The location is on the Joshimath – Malari- Girthidobla – Sumna- Rimkhim axis. Along with a BRO detachment, two labour camps and an Indian Army camp exist nearby from Sumna ( approximately 1 Km short of BRO Sumna Det).

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As per information, rescue operations were launched by the Indian Army immediately. Operations to locate other labourers at both the camps are continuing, however, two bodies have been recovered so far. Six people, who were injured in the avalanche are admitted to Military Hospital in Joshimath and one has been referred to the Military Hospital in Dehradun. a joint search-and-rescue operation by Army, ITBP, SDRF and NDRF personnel continues in the affected area.

The road access is cut off at five to five locations due to multiple landslides. BRTF teams from Joshimath are working to clear the slides enroute from Bhapkund to Sumna since last evening. It is expected to take another 6 to 8 hours to clear this complete axis.

Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat reached Chamoli to take stock of the situation a day after an avalanche was reported in the remote Joshimath-Rimkhim sector.

“Home Minister Amit Shah called us up last night. NDRF & District Administration are on the job, ITBP and BRO were informed and rescue was done quickly. I did an aerial survey today, while BRO is carrying out the operation. The connectivity remains affected,” Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat told ANI.

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