A HEROIC rescue mission saw dozens of construction workers pulled out alive from metal containers after being buried by an avalanche.
On Friday, 54 construction workers were submerged under snow and debris after the avalanche hit the work site in the Himalayas, killing eight.
A search and rescue operation took place at the camp near Mana Village in the Indian state of Uttarakhand over a period of three days. The operation concluded on Sunday, successfully bringing out the last group of people from the camp.
Eight of the metal containers and a shed were thrown down the side of the mountain by the cascade of snow and ice at around 6 am.
Rescuers had a race against time as the trapped workers had a limited supply of oxygen.
Survivors shared with a local news source that the makeshift shelters they had built played a crucial role in their survival. These shelters demonstrated exceptional resilience by enduring the force of the avalanche.
A senior rescue official told The Times of India: “These metal shelters saved most of them.
“They had just enough oxygen to hold on until we got them out.”
Satyaprakash Yadav, one of the workers who was rescued said in a video released by the army that the “avalanche hit our container like a landslide.”
The force of the impact broke up the container and it landed perilously close to the edge of an icy river.
“We managed to get our on our own and reached a nearby army guest house, where we stayed overnight,” the worker from Uttar Pradesh said.
Rajnish Kumar, another labourer from the camp said that the majority of workers were asleep when disaster struck.
“When the snow hit the container, it sank about 50 to 60 metres down [the mountain]. The Army arrived quickly and rescued us,” he said.
Construction worker Anil, recalled his rescue hours after being buried by the avalanche.
“It was if God’s angels had come to save us,” he said from his hospital bed.
“The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.”
Being alive now felt “like a dream”, he said.
The challenging mission was executed by a team of rescuers comprising personnel from the Indian army, national and state disaster response forces, as well as local administration. Various tools and techniques including helicopters, drones, thermal imaging, and sniffer dogs were employed during the arduous operation.
Uttarakhand state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has thanked them for their efforts.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police shared footage of the rescue on X saying: “After 3 days of relentless efforts, the joint rescue op by #ITBP, Army, NDRF & state Govt. at Mana, Chamoli, successfully concludes.
“46 lives saved are under medical care, 8 bodies recovered, Sniffer dogs & thermal imaging used.
“A testament to unwavering courage & coordination!“
Footage shows rescuers accessing the containers by walking through thigh-high snow and carrying people to safety on stretchers hoisted up onto their shoulders.
The workers were part of a highway expansion project by the Border Roads Organisation.
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