Uttarakhand avalanche: One labourer dies, 49 rescued; search continues for remaining 5
Dehradun (PTI): A labourer died and 49 were pulled out alive from the snow that engulfed a BRO camp in the high-altitude Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district as rescuers raced against time to find survivors on Saturday. Five workers remain trapped.
Thirty-three labourers were rescued by Friday night.
The avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 am on Friday, burying 55 workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army.
Rain and snowfall hampered the rescue efforts on Friday and the operation was suspended as the night fell.
As the weather cleared up on Saturday, choppers joined the operation.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of the affected area and directed officials to speed up the rescue operation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Dhami and assured him of full support.
District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi said Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel based in Mana resumed the rescue operation in the morning.
A labourer died at the avalanche site, sources said.
Officials said 49 labourers have been rescued alive and a search is underway for the remaining five.
Eleven of the rescued labourers have been brought to the Army hospital in Jyotirmath. Of them, one is critical, some have fractures and others have minor injuries. Vitals of all of them except one are stable and necessary investigations are being done by specialist doctors at the hospital, Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said.
The weather is turning bad again and could slow down the rescue operation. However, Army helicopters are making sorties and if the weather remains favourable, we will soon be able to find the remaining eight labourers, he said.
Dhami conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche-hit area. He also interacted with an injured labourer who was being airlifted to Jyotirmath for treatment.
"Took stock of the situation by conducting an aerial survey of the avalanche area near Mana in Chamoli district," Dhami said in a post on X.
He said he instructed officials to ensure that the relief and rescue work is conducted quickly and effectively.
"Our government is working promptly for the safety of the affected workers," he added.
In another post, the chief minister said that PM Modi spoke to him on the phone about the situation in Chamoli.
"Respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji spoke on the phone and took information about the rescue operation being carried out to safely evacuate the workers trapped in Mana in Chamoli district.
"He also sought detailed information on the situation of rain and snowfall in the state. During the conversation, the prime minister assured that the central government will provide all possible assistance (to the state) to deal with any emergency," Dhami said.
Located three kilometres from Badrinath, Mana is the last village on the India-Tibet border at a height of 3,200 metres.
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11-year-old dies by suicide after sexual assault in Bareilly; accused arrested
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl, who later died by suicide due to trauma, police said on Wednesday.
The post-mortem report confirmed sexual assault and multiple injuries on the minor's body, including bite marks and nail scratches. The cause of death was found to be hanging, they said.
According to ASP (South) Anshika Verma, the incident came to light on 27 April, when the girl, a Class 8 student, was found hanging at her home in Deoria Abdullaganj village under the Mirganj police station area. Initially, the family reported the death as suicide and was reluctant to pursue police action.
"The autopsy report changed the course of the investigation. It confirmed sexual assault and noted severe physical trauma. The cause of death was confirmed as hanging," Verma said.
A breakthrough in the case came from the statement of the victim's younger sister, who told police that the accused, Zeeshan (26), a resident of the same village, frequently loitered near the minor's school and allegedly gave her small sums of money to keep his interactions with her a secret, she said.
Police said that on the day of the incident, the accused allegedly lured the minor and assaulted her. Distressed by the incident, the child later took her own life while her mother was away, police said.
"Based on technical surveillance, CCTV footage, and statements from the family, we established Zeeshan's involvement. He was arrested near the Mirganj weekly market on Tuesday," they said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
