At least four people have died following a powerful avalanche in the village of Mana, in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand.
The tragic incident took place on Friday, February 28.
As well as killing at least four people, several others are still missing, per BBC News.
The avalanche, which hit a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp, buried dozens of road construction workers under snow and debris.
The Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) launched a large-scale rescue operation, successfully pulling 50 people from the snow. However, four later died from their injuries, while five others remain missing (as of this writing).
Rescue Operations Underway Despite Harsh Conditions
The Indian Army has deployed helicopters, UAVs, and avalanche rescue dogs to assist in locating survivors.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the army noted that “despite harsh weather conditions and continuing snow” teams were working around the clock to extricate the injured. Army doctors have been performing critical life-saving surgeries at the scene, treating those in serious condition.
Helicopters have been continuously evacuating the wounded, transporting them from the avalanche site to medical facilities.
Images shared by the Indian Army show rescuers trudging through thick snow, carrying injured workers on stretchers, and transferring them from helicopters to medical tents for treatment.
Authorities have been using specialized recco radars, UAVs, quadcopters, and avalanche rescue dogs to locate any remaining survivors.
Local Authorities Pledge Support
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reassured the public that rescue teams were working tirelessly to save lives.
"The government is fully committed to providing all possible help to the affected people in this hour of crisis," Dhami said. "The safety of the affected workers is our top priority.
"The administration, army, and SDRF teams are continuously engaged in relief work."
Eyewitness Accounts: 'No One Lives There Permanently'
Mana, the village where the avalanche struck, is a high-altitude area near the India-Tibet border.
Gaurav Kunwar, a former village council member, told BBC News that the affected area is a migratory region where only road workers and army personnel stay during the winter months.
"No one lives there permanently," Kunwar explained. "Only laborers working on border roads stay there in the winter. There's also some army presence there. We've heard that it has been raining in the area for two days. The road workers were in a camp when the avalanche hit."
AP has since reported that the four individuals who have died were all construction workers.
Extreme Weather and Avalanche Warnings
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had previously issued heavy snowfall and rainfall warnings across northern India, with orange alerts for snowfall in:
- Uttarakhand
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir
Temperatures in the area at the time of the avalanche had dropped to 10°F (-12°C), creating treacherous conditions for both residents and rescue workers.
The Search Continues
With five workers still missing, authorities remain on high alert for further avalanches or extreme weather events. Rescue teams are racing against time to locate any survivors before conditions worsen.
Despite the harsh environment and ongoing snowfall, the Indian Army and disaster response teams continue their search and rescue operations, vowing to do everything possible to find the missing.
Our thoughts go out to the rescue teams working to save lives and to every person impacted by this tragedy.