Eight dead in avalanche in India's Uttarakhand as rescue ops end

RESCUERS have recovered the eighth and final body from the site of an avalanche in northern India, bringing the operation to a close, the army said on Sunday.

The search was carried out in extreme conditions, with sub-zero temperatures in the Himalayan region.

The avalanche struck a construction camp near Mana village, close to the Tibet border in Uttarakhand, on Friday.

More than 50 workers were buried under snow and debris when it hit. Authorities later revised the number of workers present at the site from 55 to 54 after confirming that one had safely made it home before the avalanche occurred.

The army deployed drones to assist in the search, along with multiple other drones and a rescue dog.

Anil, a construction worker who was rescued, described the moment he was pulled out hours after being buried.

"It was as if God's angels had come to save us," Anil, in his late 20s, told AFP from his hospital bed. "The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving." He said being alive felt "like a dream."

'Not all made it'

The workers were employed on a project by the Border Roads Organisation and were living in steel containers, which are considered stronger than tents and better suited for harsh weather.

Anil said many workers were asleep when the avalanche struck around 6:00 am on Friday, while a few were in makeshift toilets. As the ground shook, the container he was in started sliding.

"At first we did not understand what was happening, but when we looked out of the window, we saw piles of snow all around," he said. "The roof of the containers was also slowly bending inwards."

Workers shouted for help, and some managed to escape, but others remained trapped.

'Like thunder'

Vipan Kumar, another worker, recalled struggling for air under the snow.

"I heard a loud roar, like thunder ... before I could react, everything went dark," he told The Times of India.

The area, located at an altitude of over 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), recorded minimum temperatures of minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dhan Singh Bisht, whose son and nephew survived, credited the relief teams for their quick response.

"I am grateful to them," he told AFP on Saturday.

Avalanches and landslides are common in the Himalayas, especially in winter.

Scientists have linked worsening weather events to climate change, while rapid development in the fragile region has also raised concerns about the impact of deforestation and construction.

In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand when a glacier collapsed into a river, causing flash floods.

In 2013, monsoon floods and landslides killed 6,000 people, leading to calls for a review of development projects in the state.

(With inputs from AFP)