SHIMLA: Two labourers of Border Roads Organisation were killed while another is missing after they were hit by an avalanche near Chika in Lahaul sub division of Lahaul-Spiti district on Sunday evening.
While two bodies have been recovered, a search and rescue operation that continued for several hours to trace the another missing labourer was halted for the time being due to extreme cold conditions and darkness.
Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, Sumit Khimta said that according to the information received from the Junior Engineer of Border Roads Organisation, Joint 126 RCC, on Sunday evening at 4pm, the information of avalanche incident was received near Chika, border area of Lahaul subdivision.
In this incident, three daily wage labourers of Border Roads Organisation along with snow cutter and dozer machinery came under the grip of avalanche, out of which two bodies have been recovered and being brought to Regional Hospital at Keylong.
He said that the bodies are being identified by the Border Roads Organisation for relief purposes and the cases are being processed on priority basis by the district administration.
Sumit Khimta said that as soon as the information about the incident was received, a rescue team including District Disaster Management Authority, District Police and an ambulance rushed to the spot around 6 pm under the overall supervision of the district administration.
He said that a search is going on for another buried person who has not been traced so far. He said that rescue operation has been hampered due to temperature being several degrees below zero and the area being reeling under darkness. He said that for the time being relief and rescue efforts have been halted. He said that the rescue operation will be resumed on Monday morning.
