Eight road construction workers died after being trapped under an avalanche in northern India, the Indian army said Sunday. The rescuers operating in several snow feet have evacuated 46 other workers.
The workers were buried by snow early Friday in the village of Mana, in the state of Uttarakhand, while the avalanche hit their campsite.
The intervention teams in the event of a disaster coordinated rescue efforts in extreme weather conditions, and the work has been interrupted several times due to incessant snowfall and rain. GPS, sniff dogs and thermal imaging cameras were used to find workers.
The meteorological department of India has warned of the possibility of new avalanches in the region, which is known as a bridge for trekking of the Himalayan mountains.
The workers rescued, many in critical condition, were taken by helicopters in neighboring Joshimath hospitals. Workers belong to the organization of border roads, a division of Indian armed forces This develops and maintains road networks in the border areas of India.
Mana is at an altitude of 3,200 meters, more than 10,000 feet, and is about 15 miles from the Tibetan border. During the winter months, the entire population of the village migrates towards lower elevations to escape snowfall.
Uttarakhand is subject to avalanches and floods. One of the countries Worse natural disasters It took place in 2013, when the floods killed more than 1,000 people. In 2021, 11 people died when an avalanche struck an organization camp for border roads in the district which includes mana.
While Uttarakhand’s rescue efforts were finished, an operation to reach eight workers trapped in a tunnel in southern India was still underway, more than a week after the collapse of the tunnel ceiling. The officials said that the workers’ survival chances were very far away.
