Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], March 2 : NDRF Commander Sudesh Kumar stated that NDRF personnel are working alongside the Indian Air Force to enhance the search operation following the avalanche in the Chamoli district on February 28.
Speaking to ANI, NDRF Commandment Sudesh Kumar said, "NDRF personnel are accompanying the Air Force to further the search operation. We have also sent dog squads and some equipment that detects objects buried under the snow. ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Air Force, Army--all are cooperating in this rescue operation."
While, DM Chamoli Sandeep Tiwari said, "The rescue started at 7 am today, and the weather is clear. 7 choppers of the Army and Air Force were indulged in the rescue operation...and we have deployed proper equipment along with sniffer dog squads to Mana for the search and rescue operation..."
In a recent update, the body of one more missing person had been recovered by the Army on Sunday.
With this, the death toll in the avalanche has gone up to five, and rescuers are continuing efforts to trace the remaining three missing individuals. The body recovered today is being brought to Mana post as per PRO (Defence), Dehradun.
Army PRO Lt Col Manish Srivastava said on Sunday that senior army officials are closely monitoring the rescue operation
He further stated, "Our army doctors are successfully treating the injured, and if necessary, they will be shifted to higher medical facilities. Senior officials from the army are closely monitoring the operation."
Brigade GSO 1 Lt Col Devendra confirmed on Sunday that 46 people are receiving treatment at Joshimath Army Hospital. Four individuals were confirmed dead, and one critically injured worker was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh for further treatment.
He mentioned that BRO officials will release the names of the deceased soon.
According to Indian Air Force officials, a Mi-17 helicopter will airlift the drone-based Intelligent Buried Object detection system for search operations on Sunday in the avalanche-affected areas in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
IAF Cheetah helicopters have been engaged in rescue operations in the Mana area of Chamoli since Saturday in the avalanche that happened at the BRO camp near Mana village in Joshimath on February 28.
A team of SDRF left with a victim locating and thermal image camera on Sunday to search for the remaining workers trapped in the avalanche.
As per the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, SDRF Ridhim Agarwal, an expert team of SDRF has been sent to the site of the incident via helicopter from Sahastradhara with a Victim Locating Camera (V.L.C) and Thermal Image Camera to search for the workers missing during the avalanche in Mana. The search will be carried out with the help of these equipment (Victim Locating Camera (V.L.C) and Thermal Image Camera).