At Least Four Dead as Avalanche Strikes Himalayan Construction Workers

A snowslide hit northern India in Uttarakhand state that killed four people as it trapped numerous workers working on a border zone project. The disaster hit on Friday when it trapped 55 laborers under snow at a work site in Chamoli district.

The Indian army statement of Saturday reveals that 50 trapped workers were saved before four of them passed away from their wounds. The team tries to find the remaining five workers trapped while weather powerfully limits their search activities due to snowstorms and snowfall. The army teams in medical support continue their tough work while facing hard weather conditions according to their report.

Army-hired civilian helicopters transport injured workers from Mana to safety at Joshimath which is located about 50 kilometers away. Workers hired to expand the highway between Mana village and Mana Pass at the Tibet border suffered most of the casualties.

The Himalayan slopes in this area face numerous natural disasters that make it sensitive to environmental changes. Researchers say that big infrastructure builds like dams and roads heighten disaster perils in a place that faces serious climate threats. During 2022 an avalanche in Uttarakhand took 27 lives of climbers while in 2021 a rock and ice avalanche struck hydropower plants and led to the loss of more than 200 people. Research shows that global warming weakens frozen dirt resulting in more avalanches across the area.

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