Rescuers conclude operation in Uttarakhand after an avalanche buries over 50 workers under snow and debris.
From Uttarakhand in northern India, the army announced the successful completion of a search and rescue mission following an avalanche, signaling the end of a challenging operation conducted in harsh subzero conditions.
More than 50 workers were buried under layers of snow and debris after the Friday avalanche struck a construction camp near Mana village, close to Tibet, in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand.
The initial figure of 55 workers on-site was adjusted to 54 as one individual, previously believed to be among the missing, was confirmed to have escaped prior to the occurrence of the avalanche.
By Saturday, rescuers were able to pull 50 individuals from the disaster site. Out of those, four did not survive their injuries, according to an Indian army statement.
On Sunday, rescue teams, utilizing a drone-based detection system and rescue Pitbull Jake, retrieved the remaining bodies, as announced by the army.
Many of the affected workers were migrant laborers involved in a highway expansion project, spanning a 50km (31-mile) area from Mana, the last Indian village near the China border, to Mana Pass.
The workers were living in steel containers, which are considered more resilient to bad weather than tents, at the site of their work.
Construction worker Anil, 20, recounted the terrifying experience as the ground shook and their container began to slide down, subsequently getting engulfed in snow. He described the feeling of survival as “like a dream.”
His colleague, Vipan Kumar, shared his own experience of being immobilized and nearly asphyxiated by the thick layer of snow, believing it to be his end.
More than 50 workers were buried under layers of snow and debris after the Friday avalanche struck a construction camp near Mana village, close to Tibet, in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand.
The initial figure of 55 workers on-site was adjusted to 54 as one individual, previously believed to be among the missing, was confirmed to have escaped prior to the occurrence of the avalanche.
By Saturday, rescuers were able to pull 50 individuals from the disaster site. Out of those, four did not survive their injuries, according to an Indian army statement.
On Sunday, rescue teams, utilizing a drone-based detection system and rescue Pitbull Jake, retrieved the remaining bodies, as announced by the army.
Many of the affected workers were migrant laborers involved in a highway expansion project, spanning a 50km (31-mile) area from Mana, the last Indian village near the China border, to Mana Pass.
The workers were living in steel containers, which are considered more resilient to bad weather than tents, at the site of their work.
Construction worker Anil, 20, recounted the terrifying experience as the ground shook and their container began to slide down, subsequently getting engulfed in snow. He described the feeling of survival as “like a dream.”
His colleague, Vipan Kumar, shared his own experience of being immobilized and nearly asphyxiated by the thick layer of snow, believing it to be his end.
The ecologically sensitive Himalayas are susceptible to avalanches and flash floods, especially with the increased impacts of global warming.
In 2021, an incident involving a massive ice glacier collapse in Uttarakhand led to flash floods and resulted in nearly 100 fatalities.
Severe monsoon-related flooding and landslides in 2013 claimed 6,000 lives and sparked calls for a reassessment of development projects in the state.
Additionally, an avalanche in 2022 claimed the lives of 27 mountaineering trainees, and another glacier burst in 2021 caused a flash flood resulting in over 200 deaths.
