Indian avalanche swept away construction workers in Uttarakhand state, leaving dozens of missing
India Dradon More than 40 construction workers have disappeared after an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India’s Himalaya state, after heavy snow on Friday, officials said.
“The rescue team dug in heavy snow for several hours,” Ridhim Agarwal of the National Disaster Relief Force said in a statement, adding: “So far, 15 workers are safe, while 42 are missing. ”
The avalanche struck a construction camp in the Chamoli area, burying workers under snow and debris.
Agarwal added that the helicopters will deploy high-altitude rescue teams once weather conditions improve.
Deepam Seth, a senior police officer in the state, said bad weather was blocking rescue operations.
Reuters’ Indian Army/Handout
“It’s been snowing with strong winds and snowing…the roads are completely blocked. We have deployed snowmobile to open the road.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was “sad” by the incident and was monitoring the rescue operation.
Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially in winter.
However, scientists warn that human burning of fossil fuels stimulates climate change Make extreme weather events worse And, as the snow and ice melt faster in winter, melt faster on Earth’s warmer oceans, while the storm system melts.
After a year of record emissions, the United Nations warned in 2024 that only a decade will be able to significantly change policies around the world to prevent the worst effects of climate change. In a report released in October, the United Nations said it was “climate tightening time” because greenhouse gases, more extreme weather events that capture heat and fuel in the atmosphere, have already hit.An unprecedented level. ”
The increased development speed in the fragile Himalayas has also exacerbated fears about the consequences of deforestation and construction.
In 2021, nearly 100 people were killed in Uttarakhand. Glacier blocks fall into the rivertriggering flash torrents and devastating monsoons Floods and slopes in 2013 Killed 6,000 people and called for a review of the state’s development projects.
