Got swept away: Workers in Chamoli recount harrowing ordeal

Manoj Bhandari, 40, was resting inside one of the eight containers at the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) campsite near Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district early Friday morning, when an avalanche hit the camp around 6am, trapping 55 construction workers under snow.

Bhandari, who hails from Junga village in Uttarkashi, shuddered as he recalled the traumatic experience that lasted for more than 24 hours.

“I was inside my container when suddenly the avalanche hit. The container was swept down the slope, tumbling uncontrollably for hundreds of metres. The sheer force of the avalanche ripped the container apart; its doors and roof torn off and windows shattered,” he said. “My two companions and I were thrown out onto the snow-covered slope, battered and disoriented. Our phones, bags, and other belongings were swept away with the container.”

For what seemed like an eternity, Bhandari and his two companions fought the chaos of the snowstorm, freezing temperatures, and the overwhelming fear of not knowing whether they would survive.

“We struggled for hours, with no proper clothing, walking barefoot on the thick snow. Our feet were numb from the cold, but we had no choice but to keep moving. We made our way toward a nearby Army guest room,” he recalled.

By the time they reached the guest room, exhaustion had taken over. Their bodies were stiff from the cold, their energy drained, and their spirits nearly broken.

“We managed to break open the door of the guest room, which is locked during the winter season, and get inside. The army had already begun the rescue operation, but with zero visibility and continuous snowfall, our footprints were buried under the snow. For a long time, they didn’t even know we were alive,” Bhandari said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Inside the guest room, there were blankets and mattresses to provide warmth, but no food. “We didn’t eat for more than 24 hours,” he added.

Miles away in Uttarkashi, meanwhile, Bhandari’s family remained anxious, with no information coming in about his whereabouts.

It wasn’t until Saturday morning that rescue teams located the 40-year-old and his companions in the guest house and airlifted them to the Jyotirmath army hospital. “My body is covered in scratches, and my neck is also injured. When I was rescued, I was limping,” Bhandari said, reflecting on his painful journey.

Bhandari, according to his family, has been working on the Mana pass road project since April last year as a supervisor.

“We are so grateful that he is safe. It was the worst night of our lives, but now, all we can do is breathe easy knowing he made it through,” Mohit Bhandari, one of his family members, said.

The family of Naresh Singh Bisht (36) and Deekshit Singh Bisht (22) — cousins from Haldwani town in Nainital — also suffered long hours of not knowing if they survived the avalanche.

“When we heard about the avalanche around 1 pm on Friday, we were overwhelmed with worry. His phone was switched off. That evening, we called the helpline, and thankfully, they told us he was safe. They reassured us that there was no danger. But we still couldn’t rest until we heard his voice,” Naresh’s father, Dhan Singh Bisht, recalled.

On Saturday morning, Dhan Singh finally calmed down after hearing his son’s voice.

“At around 9 am, Naresh was admitted to Jyotirmath hospital, and we were finally able to speak with him. He told us that the avalanche had caused the container to flip and roll down the slope. He had been resting inside when it hit. It took him a while to understand what had happened, but he was eventually rescued,” he said. “We are thankful that he is safe. We can breathe easy, he made it through.”

Unlike the Bhandaris and the Bishts, the family of another worker, Ram Sujan Singh, a resident of Rasra in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, is still living in uncertainty.

Singh’s son Raj Singh said: “We last spoke to my father on Monday and haven’t heard from him since. We have no information about his condition. We are worried about him.”

At least four of the 55 workers hit by the avalanche are still missing, with a search and rescue operation underway. Four workers have succumbed in the incident, officials said.