- Friday, February 28, 2025
The avalanche occurred near a highway in the state’s Chamoli region, adjoining Tibet, and 16 people have been rescued
By: India Weekly
AT LEAST 25 people are still trapped after an avalanche in Uttarakhand state, authorities said on Friday (28), following heavy snowfall and rains in parts of north India.
It struck a labour site of the federal Border Roads Organisation (BRO), where eight containers and one shed, with 57 workers inside, were buried under the snow, according to an Indian army statement.
Five of the containers had been located, the statement said, and the search for the remaining three was ongoing.
At least 32 workers had been rescued, Chamoli’s District Administrator Sandeep Tiwari told news agency ANI on Friday evening, and there was no indication of any casualties.
Rain and snowfall, however, were limiting mobility and the use of helicopters, he said.
Himachal: 200 roads closed
Heavy snowfall and rains in Himachal Pradesh triggered landslides and blocked key roads and national highways on Friday, throwing normal life out of gear in many areas.
Intermittent heavy snowfall and rains for the third day have blocked highways.
About 200 roads have been closed due to heavy snowfall across the state, cutting off several areas from the rest of the state, officials said.
Officials said all educational institutions, including colleges, have been closed in Chamba and Manali.
There was a threat of avalanche over tribal areas and other higher reaches above 2,300 metres altitude.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said snow and rains have aggravated the threat of an avalanche and advised people to restrict outdoor activities.
He urged tourists to stay in a safe place till the situation improves.
Negi said 218 roads and three national highways are currently blocked and 70 water and irrigation schemes have been disrupted.
Kashmir connectivity hit
Snowfall has affected rail, air and road connectivity in Kashmir, according to officials.
While rains lashed the plains, the higher reaches of the valley, including tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Tangmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam, received moderate to heavy snowfall.
The weather is likely to improve from Friday afternoon, the meteorological office said.
All morning flights at the Srinagar airport were delayed due to the weather. Operations resumed after 11 am as the weather improved, they said.
Train services on the Budgam-Baramulla section were also affected due to heavy snow accumulation along the tracks, they added.
Two die in Jammu
In Jammu, a woman and her son were killed when a boulder from a hillock hit their two-wheeler near Moungari in Udhampur district.
Eleven labourers were rescued by a joint team of police and the SDRF from the Ujh river in the Rajbagh area of Kathua district early Friday.
They were staying in a shed adjoining a construction site and their lives were in danger due to a swollen water body, officials said.
A truck driver was also rescued after his vehicle was submerged in the Tawi river in the Niki Tawi area, police said.
High-altitude areas received moderate to heavy snowfall, prompting the closure of various roads, including the strategic 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway. (Agencies)
