Avalanche in the Himalayas: At least 8 casualties

At least 8 people have been reported dead after an avalanche struck in the Indian Himalayan region near the borders with China.

The incident occurred on April 23, 2021, in a mountainous region located in the state of Uttarakhand. The avalanche was probably triggered after a glacier collapse and impacted a local roadway. Subsequent avalanches struck the region and damaged the road network in multiple sites. 

Rescue teams, including military personnel, rushed to the scene in search of survivors. The attempts were highly challenged by the heavy snowfall that persisted after the incident. According to recent information, more than 300 people have been rescued and, unfortunately, at least 8 have died. Of those rescued, many were hospitalized with 6 being in critical condition. As of April 24, the rescue operations were still ongoing.

Many construction projects are developed in the affected region. Those mainly include roadways associated with military infrastructure. The majority of the laborers have been evacuated.

In February 2021, more than 200 casualties were reported in the Uttarakhand state after a section of a Himalayan glacier detached and impacted a river at a high velocity causing high waves and intense floods. 

Helicopter footage capturing the avalanche can be found below.