In brief
On March 2, 2025, a devastating avalanche hit a road workers’ camp in Mana, Uttarakhand, burying eight individuals under layers of heavy snow. The Indian Army confirmed the fatalities and reported that rescuers managed to save 46 other workers trapped by the avalanche.
Rescue operations faced challenges due to relentless snowfall and rain, prompting teams to frequently halt their efforts. Advanced technologies such as GPS, sniffer dogs, and thermal imaging were deployed to locate the buried workers. Many of the rescued individuals were airlifted to hospitals in nearby Joshimath, facing critical health conditions. Located at an altitude exceeding 10,000 feet near the Tibetan border, Mana is notorious for harsh winter conditions, prompting local inhabitants to migrate to lower areas for safety. Unfortunately, Uttarakhand has a history of natural disasters, including catastrophic floods in 2013 and earlier avalanches affecting road maintenance crews in the region.
