An avalanche happened on 28 February 2025, resulting in multiple casualties and significant damage to infrastructure. Despite the challenging weather conditions, emergency responders put in a lot of effort to find and help those who were in need. At least 25 road workers are still trapped following a massive avalanche in a remote border area of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, according to local officials. Sandeep Tiwari, a senior district official, confirmed that 32 workers had been rescued and transported to a nearby army camp. The avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana, a village near the border with Tibet. Rescue efforts are still underway, with teams battling extreme weather conditions and heavy snowfall.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, shared on X that rescue operations were being carried out by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the BRO, and additional teams. Ambulances and emergency crews have been dispatched, but difficult terrain and ongoing snowfall continue to hinder rescue efforts. In footage shared on X by ITBP, rescuers can be seen carrying victims on stretchers and trudging through deep snow as more snow continues to fall. Colonel Ankur Mahajan, a commander with the BRO, told the Hindustan Times that the rescued workers were receiving treatment, though the full extent of their injuries remains unclear.
Gaurav Kunwar, a former village council member from Mana, told BBC News that details about the incident were limited. He explained that the area is not inhabited year-round, and only migrant labourers working on border roads stay there during the winter months, along with some army personnel. Kunwar mentioned that the area had been experiencing rain for two days prior to the avalanche, which struck while the workers were in their camp. On Friday, the India Meteorological Department issued warnings for heavy rainfall and snow across the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Orange alerts have also been issued for snowfall in several districts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.