Dehradun: In a recent development, 2 Cheetah helicopters have been deployed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for rescue and relief operations in Uttarkashi area where a mountaineering team of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering has been hit by an avalanche.
“All other fleets of choppers have been put on standby for any other requirement,” informed IAF officials.
As many as 28 people are feared trapped in an avalanche that hit Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday.
Rescue operations are underway to rescue the trapped, all trainees of the Nehru Mountaineering Institute of Uttarkashi.
Info about 28 trainees of Nehru Mountaineering Institute being trapped following an avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak has been received. Rapid, relief & rescue operations underway by the dist administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army & ITBP personnel: Uttarakhand CM PS Dhami pic.twitter.com/HVQoTxagk2
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 4, 2022
According to preliminary reports avalanche hit the team around 9 AM today. “Information about 28 trainees of Nehru Mountaineering Institute being trapped following an avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak has been received. Rapid, relief and rescue operations underway by the district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel,” CM Dhami said.
“Rapid relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the district administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army and ITBP personnel along with the team of NIM to rescue the trainees trapped in the avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak at the earliest,” tweeted the chief minister Dhami.
A SDRF team left from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun has rushed to rescue the trainees trapped in avalanche for rescue work.
CM Dhami said that he has spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for help from the army to speed up the rescue operation.
“He has assured us to give every possible help from the Centre. A rescue operation is being conducted to bring out everyone,” Dhami said.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took to Twitter and expressed his anguish to the loss of lives and consoled the bereaved families who lost their family members.
“Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi. My condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” Rajnath Singh said in a tweet.
“Spoke to CM Uttarakhand, Shri @PushkarDhamiand took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to help the mountaineers who are still trapped. I have instructed the IAF to mount the rescue and relief ops. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” Singh said.
(ANI)
