India: Avalanche Traps 57 Workers in Chamoli

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Above: Rescuers carry BRO workers after an avalanche near Mana village in Chamoli district on Feb. 28, 2025. Image copyright: State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • At least 42 of 57 workers trapped in eight containers and one shed were rescued after an avalanche struck a Border Roads Organization (BRO) camp near Mana village in India's Uttarakhand state on Friday.

  • The incident occurred between Mana village and Badrinath in Chamoli district, adjoining Tibet, where workers were engaged in a highway widening and blacktopping project along a 50-kilometer (31-mile) stretch for two years.

  • A team of 65 rescue personnel, including 30 Army staff, battled through poor visibility and six-foot-deep snow to reach the affected area.

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The Spin

Narrative A

Climate change has significantly increased avalanche frequency in the Himalayas. Warmer temperatures destabilize snowpack structures and alter precipitation patterns, making the region more vulnerable to such disasters than ever.

Narrative B

The incident highlights the critical importance of infrastructure development in border areas, where, despite challenging conditions, construction work must continue to maintain strategic readiness and support local communities.

Narrative C

The government converted a natural phenomenon into a tragic incident by ignoring the meteorological department's advisory on the possibility of avalanches, failing to take precautionary measures, and continuing construction activities in rough terrain.

Nerd narrative

There's a 10% chance that if a global catastrophe occurs, it will be due to either human-made climate change or geoengineering, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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