Rescuers have pulled dozens of construction workers alive from metal containers that were buried by an avalanche in the Himalayas in India’s Uttarakhand state. The survivors, who were living in the containers, had enough oxygen to sustain them for nearly two days until rescuers could dig them out.
A total of 54 workers were trapped when the avalanche hit a construction camp near Mana village on Friday. Eight were killed, while the other 46 were rescued after an almost 60-hour operation that concluded on Sunday. The labourers, who were working on a highway expansion project, were able to withstand the avalanche due to the metal containers.
“We managed to get out on our own and reached a nearby army guest house, where we stayed overnight,” said one of the survivors, Satyaprakash Yadav. “The container I was in broke apart when the snow hit and it ended up near a river.”
Rescue teams, including members of the Indian army, national and state disaster response forces, and local administration, worked together to free the workers using helicopters and drones.
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned of rainfall and snow in the northern states until Tuesday. Climate experts say that climate change has made extreme weather more severe and less predictable.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8j0gm2de77o