Several workers survived after 36 hours trapped in avalanche in India

(CLO) The Indian army has rescued dozens of construction workers trapped in metal containers for 36 hours after a horrific avalanche in the Himalayas.

The incident took place last Friday at a construction site in Mana village in Uttarakhand state, located at an altitude of about 3,200 meters above sea level.

According to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Indian Army, 46 workers survived the avalanche, but unfortunately, eight died. Those trapped were mostly migrant workers involved in building a highway in the remote area.

An avalanche survivor is airlifted for medical treatment. Photo: Indian Army Central Command

Due to the harsh weather, the workers took shelter in eight metal containers instead of setting up tents, a decision that may have saved lives as the containers protected them from heavy snowfall and also made it easier for rescuers to locate them, said Lieutenant Colonel Manish Srivastava, a defence spokesman in Uttarakhand.

Images released by the Indian army showed soldiers and sniffer dogs gathered around metal barrels partially buried in snow. One survivor being treated in hospital said: "Anyone who can be brought out immediately will be rescued... We have received full support."

The Himalayan region is prone to avalanches and landslides, especially in winter. Human-caused climate change is making extreme weather events more severe and unpredictable.

According to a 2023 report by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Himalayan glaciers melted 65% faster in the 2010s than the previous decade, increasing the risk of floods, landslides and avalanches.

Earlier in 2021, more than 200 people were killed when part of a glacier in Uttarakhand collapsed, sending ice, rocks and water crashing into a dam in a horrific disaster.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN, NDTV)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nhieu-cong-nhan-song-sot-sau-36-gio-bi-ket-trong-lo-tuyet-o-an-do-post337018.html