India avalanche: Four dead, Five missing after an avalanche struck a remote border location in India, officials reported on Saturday.
Five people have gone missing, and rescue crews, including helicopters, have been sent to find them, officials stated.
The tragedy happened on Friday close to Mana village in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, which is situated along the Tibet-India border. An avalanche struck a construction camp, burying 55 workers beneath snow and debris.
50 people were initially rescued, but four later passed away from their wounds, the Indian Army said in a statement released on Saturday.
“Sadly, four injured individuals have been confirmed dead,” the army informed the public.
Since blocked roads have made ground operations challenging, authorities have sent out six helicopters to aid in the rescue of the five workers who are still missing.
According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the administration is dedicated to helping those impacted and relief efforts are still underway.
“Rescue crews never stop trying to help people. “During this crisis, the government will provide all assistance possible,” he posted on X (previously Twitter).
The Himalayan region frequently experiences landslides and avalanches, especially in the winter. While deforestation and rising construction have created concerns about environmental stability in the delicate Himalayan ecosystem, experts believe that climate change is making extreme weather occurrences more intense.
In 2021, flash floods in Uttarakhand caused by a glacier breaking apart killed around 100 people. Devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 claimed 6,000 lives, leading to demands for more stringent rules on regional development projects.
