Avalanche in the Himalayas leaves several dead, injured and missing
At least 7 people were killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas. 11 people are reported injured and at least 30 missing as rescuers continue searching.
- At least 7 people were killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas.
- 11 people are reported injured and at least 30 missing.
- Rescuers continue their work in the face of inclement weather.
An avalanche swept away a group of tourists in the Himalayas in northeastern India on Tuesday, killing at least seven and injuring 11. Rescue groups are still in the area and the first images began to circulate, according to The Sun.
Rescuers were looking for at least 30 missing people, Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat, an army spokesman, said in a statement. The Indian Border Roads Organization said the tourists were hit by the avalanche near the Nathu La mountain pass in Sikkim state and rescuers pulled 22 survivors out of the snow and took them to a hospital for treatment.
RESCUERS CONTINUE WORKING
Video footage released by the Indian army showed rescuers searching among the snow for the missing people swept up a hillside by the avalanche. Nathu La Pass is on the border with China and is a major tourist destination, so it is always full of people who come to climb the mountains and enjoy the snow all year round.
The Himalayan region, which has a delicate ecosystem and has been severely affected by climate change, is prone to avalanches. Last year, 27 trainee climbers lost their lives as a result of a registered avalanche in the northern region of Uttarakhand.
AVALANCHE IN THE HIMALAYAS
Later, during the search, the authorities confirmed that a bus full of tourists plunged into a gorge after the avalanche. So far a child is known to be among the dead along with four men and a woman with at least 150 trapped, India Today reports. Authorities fear more people missing after the torrent of snow and rocks struck five or six vehicles.
Preliminary reports indicate that the tragedy may have a higher death toll, as it is reported that dozens of people were taking photos near a stream when the torrent of snow fell. Around 350 people and 80 vehicles were stranded after snow blocked roads, Times of India reports.
IT COULD GET WORSE
The first images on social media showed several bodies strewn down the side of a mountain as local residents settled around rescuers. Authorities brought backhoes and heavy equipment to remove snow, as well as ropes to reach people in the deep gorge.
Police officer Tenzing Loden Lepcha said: “We have yet to determine how many people are still trapped. 17 people have been rescued, of which eight are very critical and have been transferred to a hospital. However, the number is not clear, due to the fact that the work continues, but the outlook could be much worse than the preliminary one.»
DEVASTATING IMAGES
In other videos you can see how dozens of rescuers and some volunteers joined the search and rescue tasks of victims. In the middle of a snow-covered road, between the mountains, with shovel in hand, they desperately seek to find a sign of life, while others observe the intense work that is carried out in the area, without providing more information about it.
The day of terror is not over yet, since the entire area is susceptible to the development of this type of natural phenomenon, for which reason the risk of another happening is always latent, however, as long as conditions allow it, the rescuers will continue there to try to get as many people out as possible.
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