At least 41 people trapped after avalanche in Indian Himalayas

At least 41 people are trapped after being swept away by an avalanche in the Indian Himalayas, according to local officials.

The incident took place near a highway in the state of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli region where workers were engaged in road construction.

Local police said at least 57 workers were initially buried under snow.

Of those, 16 have been rescued so far, senior police officer Rajeev Swaroop said.

Five of them are in a serious condition and have been taken to a military facility for treatment, according to Sky’s India reporter Neville Lazarus.

He says the Indian army is taking part in the rescue operation, with about 150 soldiers on site alongside the national disaster response force and state disaster response force.

However, local officials say the operation is being hampered by adverse weather conditions.

“Currently, the rescue operation is slow because we are facing difficulties in movement due to active rainfall,” Chamoli district magistrate Sandeep Tiwari said.

“As soon as the weather gets better, we will fast-track the rescue operation.”

He said there are currently no reports of any casualties.

Local media had earlier reported that people were trapped after a “glacier burst”, before authorities confirmed it was an
avalanche.

The area on the Tibet border is three miles (5km) from the popular Hindu temple of Badrinath, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of devotees each year.

The Himalayan region, which has been severely affected by global warming, is prone to avalanches.

In 2022, an avalanche killed 27 trainee mountaineers in Uttarakhand.

This article was originally published by Sky.com. Read the original article here.

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