Avalanche Claims Four Lives in Northern India

The deadly incident occurred on Friday near the Mana Pass in Uttarakhand, located in the northern region of India. The avalanche trapped 55 construction workers beneath the heavy snow. While rescuers successfully pulled out 50 workers from the rubble, four of them later succumbed to their injuries, the army confirmed in a statement.

The search operation for the remaining five missing workers continues, with multiple rescue teams and military helicopters scouring the site. The army's statement did not specify the number of injured but confirmed that the injured workers are being given priority for evacuation.

Chandrashekhar Vashistha, a senior administrative official, reported that several workers sustained severe injuries and are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.

Many of the trapped workers were migrant laborers involved in the arduous task of widening and paving a 50-kilometer (31-mile) stretch of highway that connects Mana, India’s last village, to the Mana Pass near the Tibet border.

"Rescue operations have been complicated by heavy snowfall, ongoing snowstorms, and poor visibility, making access to the site extremely challenging," said Kamlesh Kamal, spokesperson for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

This region’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem, already vulnerable to the effects of global warming, is highly prone to avalanches and flash floods. Just last year, an avalanche in Uttarakhand claimed the lives of 27 trainee mountaineers. In 2021, a glacier burst triggered a devastating flash flood, claiming more than 200 lives.

Authorities and experts continue to warn that climate change is exacerbating the risks in such high-altitude areas, making rescue efforts even more difficult.