Tragic Avalanche Claims Lives of Eight Workers in Uttarakhand, India

On March 2, 2025, eight road construction workers lost their lives after being caught in an avalanche in the village of Mana, located in Uttarakhand. The Indian Army reported that rescue teams successfully lifted 46 additional workers from their snowy entrapment. The avalanche struck the workers’ camp early Friday morning, burying them under several feet of snow. Rescues became challenging due to severe weather conditions, including ongoing snowfall and rain, which halted operations intermittently. Utilizing advanced techniques, including GPS tracking, sniffer dogs, and thermal imaging cameras, the teams were able to locate the buried individuals.

In light of the recent tragedy, India’s Meteorological Department has issued warnings about the danger of further avalanches in this mountain area, known for its hiking routes in the Himalayas. The injured workers were transported by helicopter to hospitals in the nearby town of Joshimath, many of them in critical condition. The victims were employed by the Border Roads Organization, a unit of the Indian military responsible for road construction and maintenance in remote border regions.

At an altitude exceeding 10,000 feet, Mana is approximately 15 miles from the Tibetan boundary, with its inhabitants typically relocating to lower elevations during winter months to mitigate the impacts of severe snowfall. Uttarakhand has a history of natural disasters, including a catastrophic flood in 2013 that claimed over 1,000 lives, and a similar avalanche in 2021, resulting in 11 fatalities at a Border Roads Organization camp in the same district.