Uttarakhand govt orders magisterial probe into Chamoli avalanche incident

The Uttarakhand government has ordered a magisterial probe into the February 28 Mana avalanche incident in which eight border road construction workers were killed while 46 others were rescued.

Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said he has directed Jyotirmath sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Chandra Shekhar Vashishth to submit a probe report within 15 days.

“We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Chamoli incident, and the Jyotirmath SDM has been assigned as the probe officer. While I have set a 15-day deadline for the submission of the probe report, it could take longer, possibly up to a month,” Tiwari said.

He said that the investigation will cover all aspects of the incident, including whether anything could have been done to prevent the casualties. He said, “We will invite the public to register their statements during the inquiry, and anyone who wishes to do so will be heard.”

The massive avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp between Mana and Mana Pass between 5.30am and 6am on Friday, burying the workers who were sleeping in eight containers and a shed. The workers were engaged in a strategic road project connecting Mana, the last Indian village, to Mana Pass on the China border.

“Of the 46 people rescued, 36 are stable and will be discharged today. Eight workers are being treated at the army hospital in Jyotirmath, while two others are admitted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh,” Tiwari said. The rescue operation was concluded on Sunday.

Of the eight deceased, four were from Uttar Pradesh, two from Himachal Pradesh, and two from Uttarakhand. Officials said the bodies of seven victims have been dispatched to their respective places.

Over 200 personnel from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district administration, and other state agencies were engaged in the search and rescue operation.

The operation spanned three days, faced significant challenges from the outset, with treacherous terrain, blinding snowfall, near-zero visibility and freezing temperatures at the remote site located at an elevation of approximately 3,200 metres.

Thirty-three workers were rescued by Friday night, as rain and snowfall hampered rescue efforts. The operation was forced to be suspended as darkness fell. As weather conditions improved on Saturday morning, rescue teams resumed their efforts, pulling out 17 more people, though four of those rescued succumbed to their injuries. On Sunday, four bodies were recovered.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who had conducted an aerial survey of the affected area on Saturday, said rescuers worked on a war footing to save the construction workers, deploying all possible resources, including modern technology and equipment such as ground penetrating radar.

Praising the rescue teams, he said it was due to their “commendable efforts” that 46 workers were safely rescued and emphasised that “all rescued workers should get proper medical treatment.”

With February and March recognised as months with increased avalanche risk, Dhami said his government has issued an advisory to relocate workers from higher Himalayan regions to safer locations.