Chamoli/IBNS: At least 25 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers are still trapped after an avalanche hit Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, media reports said on Friday.

The incident took place near the border village of Mana, which is about five kilometres from the Badrinath temple.

There were a total of 57 workers of which 22 managed to escape the avalanche. The BRO workers have been so far rescued and being treated.

The rescue operations are being conducted by around 65 Indian Army and ITBP personnel.

A total of 57 road construction workers were stationed in the BRO camp at the time of the incident, Deepam Seth, Uttarakhand's Director General of Police told NDTV.

"The rescue operation has been underway for the last two hours. The main challenge is the bad weather. It has been snowing with strong winds...The roads are completely blocked. We have deployed snow cutters to open the road," he said.

Five ambulances have been dispatched. However, owing to continuous snowfall and rain, movement of vehicles is restricted, Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari told the media.

A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has left Joshimath and is en route to the disaster site.

The army has been asked to clear the route in Lambagad, which is currently impassable due to road blockage. Another team is on alert at Sahastradhara helipad.

As the weather conditions improve, the high-altitude rescue team of SDRF will be dropped by helicopter at the nearest place.

The SDRF drone team is also ready. However, due to heavy snowfall, drone operations are impossible right now, informed Ridhim Agarwal, Inspector General of Police, SDRF.

Four teams of NDRF have left from Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Dehradun.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he is "saddened" by the incident and assured that relief and rescue operations are underway.

Dhami held a meeting with the state's top officials at the State Disaster Control Room to review the progress of the ongoing rescue operation.

In a social media post on X,  Dhami wrote, "I pray to Lord Badri Vishal for the safety of all the labour brothers."