Strong winds and blocked roads hamper the rescue mission of 42 workers caught in an avalanche in Uttarakhand.
More than 40 construction workers are trapped under the snow due to an avalanche near the Indian border with Tibet.
The situation like Blizzard caused an avalanche in a camp near the mountain village of Mana in Uttarakhand, Himalayas on Friday.
Initially, 57 workers were locked in, removing snow from the camp. Riddim Agarwal, an official from the state’s disaster relief force, said 15 of them were rescued, while 42 are still missing.
According to Indian media reports, disaster response teams are about to reach trapped workers in high-altitude camps that have been receiving avalanche warnings since Thursday evening.
But the dangerous weather has hindered their efforts, said Deepam Seth, the state’s top police officer.
“It’s snowing due to strong winds. …The roads are completely blocked. He told Indian broadcaster NDTV.
“Additional troops and equipment are advancing to the location,” the Indian Army Central Commander announced.
#IndianArmy #Suryacommand
The avalanche attacked Grev Camp near Mana village in Ghawalsector. Many workers are afraid of being trapped. The Ibex Brigade of the Indian Army quickly launched a rescue operation despite the continued heavy snowfall and minor avalanches. So far 10…pic.twitter.com/advcau9g4g
– Suryacommand_ia (@suryacommand) February 28, 2025
Avalanches and landslides are common at the top of the Himalayas.
Scientists have shown that climate change is making weather recharged in warm waters even more severe.
The increasing pace of development in the vulnerable Himalayas has also increased fears about deforestation and radioactive fallout from construction.
In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand when a huge clump of glacier fell into the river and caused flash floods.
The devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people, allowing them to ask for a review of the state’s development projects.
The avalanche on Friday occurred as parallel rescue operations continued on the seventh day in the south Indian town of Nagarkurulnoor.
