Avalanche Buries BRO Camp in Uttarakhand: 33 Rescued, 22 Still Trapped

03 Mar 2025 CW Team

A massive avalanche buried a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village, Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, leaving 33 workers rescued and 22 still trapped under deep snow. Rescue efforts were halted overnight due to harsh weather and the risk of further avalanches.

Uttarakhand’s Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman confirmed that 55 workers were present at the site when the avalanche struck early Friday morning, with two workers on leave. Despite challenging conditions, more than 65 personnel, including the Army’s Ibex Brigade and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), have been engaged in the rescue operation. Four of the rescued workers are reported to be in critical condition and are receiving treatment at the ITBP camp in Mana.

The avalanche, which occurred between 5:30 am and 6 am, buried workers inside eight containers and a shed under seven feet of snow. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed, though poor weather has delayed their arrival.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured that all efforts are being made to rescue the remaining workers. The Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopters are set to join the search-and-rescue operations on Saturday morning.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to prioritize the evacuation of the injured, ensuring proper medical care in hospitals, including AIIMS Rishikesh. With heavy snowfall and rain predicted, authorities remain on high alert to prevent further emergencies.

(Business Standard)

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..