More than 40 construction workers were missing after an avalanche in the state of the Himalayas of Uttarakhand of India Himalayas on Friday after strong snowfall, authorities said.
The avalanche reached a construction camp in the Chamoli district, burying the workers under snow and debris.
The rescue teams dug for hours through strong snow, Ridhim Agarwal, of the State Disaster Aid Force, said in a statement, added: “Until now, 15 workers are safe while 42 are missing.”
As soon as climatic conditions improve, large altitude rescue equipment will be deployed by helicopter on the scene, he added.
Deepam Seth, the main state police officer, said the bad weather was hindering rescue operations.
“He has been snowing with strong winds … the roads are completely blocked. We have deployed snow cutters to open the road,” he told LoadCaster NDTV.
Uttarakhand Prime Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was “sad” for the incident and was monitoring rescue operations.
Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper sections of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season. Scientists have shown that climate change stimulated by humans that burn fossil fuels is making meteorological events more severe, superquejated by the warmest oceans.
The increase in the rhythm of development in the fragile regions of Himalaya has also increased fears on the consequences of deforestation and construction.
In 2021, almost 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge piece of glacier fell into a river, causing sudden floods.
The devastating floods of Monzón and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led the calls to a review of development projects in the state.
