Rescue teams in northern India have recovered the eighth and final body from the site of a devastating avalanche, bringing an end to an exhaustive search operation in the remote Himalayan region, the Indian army confirmed on Sunday.
The avalanche struck early Friday near Mana village in Uttarakhand, burying more than 50 construction workers under snow and debris. Initial reports estimated 55 workers were present, but authorities later revised the number to 54 after confirming that one had left the site before the disaster.
The army deployed drones and a rescue dog to aid in the search, working through sub-zero temperatures at an altitude of over 3,200 metres (10,500 feet).
Among the survivors, construction worker Anil, in his late 20s, described his rescue as miraculous.
“It was as if God’s angels had come to save us,” he told AFP from his hospital bed. “The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.”
Anil and his colleagues, working on a project by the Border Roads Organisation, were living in steel containers designed to withstand extreme weather. But when the avalanche hit around 6:00 am, the ground shook violently, sending the containers sliding.
“At first, we didn’t understand what was happening, but when we looked outside, we saw piles of snow everywhere,” he recalled. “The roof of the container was slowly caving in.”
Some workers managed to escape, but many were trapped.
Vipan Kumar, another survivor, described the terrifying moment before being buried. “I heard a loud roar, like thunder… before I could react, everything went dark,” he told the Times of India.
The extreme weather conditions, with temperatures plunging to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit), added to the dangers.
Dhan Singh Bisht, whose son and nephew survived, credited the swift response of rescuers for saving them. “I am grateful to them,” he said.
Avalanches and landslides frequently strike the upper reaches of the Himalayas, particularly in winter. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying such disasters, while rapid development and deforestation have heightened concerns over the region’s environmental fragility.
In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand when a glacier collapse triggered massive floods. A far deadlier disaster struck in 2013 when monsoon floods and landslides killed 6,000 people, prompting calls for a reassessment of infrastructure projects in the state.
