Several missing after avalanche strikes Indian Himalayas

At least 41 road workers have been trapped following a massive avalanche in a remote border region of Uttarakhand, northern India, officials report.

According to police spokesperson IG Nilesh Anand Bharne, 16 workers have been rescued and taken to a nearby army camp, as reported by ANI news agency.

The avalanche struck a Border Roads Organization (BRO) camp in Mana, a border area in Uttarakhand adjacent to Tibet. Officials have yet to confirm whether there have been any fatalities, said senior district official Sandeep Tiwari in a statement to BBC Hindi.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on X that rescue efforts are underway, with teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the BRO, and other emergency responders working at the site.

Ambulances and rescue teams have been deployed, but difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions are complicating efforts.

Colonel Ankur Mahajan, a BRO commander, told the Hindustan Times that those rescued are receiving medical care, but the severity of their injuries remains unknown.

Gaurav Kunwar, a former village council member of Mana, shared with BBC News that information on the incident is still limited.

"No one lives there permanently. It’s a migratory area where only border road workers stay during winter, along with some army personnel. We’ve heard it has been raining in the area for two days, and the road workers were in their camp when the avalanche struck," he explained.

Earlier on Friday, the India Meteorological Department warned of heavy snowfall and rain across northern states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities have issued orange alerts for snowfall in multiple districts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, cautioning residents and travelers about the worsening conditions.