DEHRADUN: In the Himalayas, avalanches and mishaps are unforgiving. Survival in such conditions is rare. The numbers from recent years tell a grim story. In recent years, avalanches have trapped over 140 people, causing nearly 70 deaths. From mountaineers in Uttarakhand to trekkers, soldiers, and tourists in Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim, these disasters have repeatedly struck India’s mountain regions, with survival depending on rescue efforts.
But this time, something worked in the survivors’ favour: the steel containers they were sleeping in and the possibility of an immediate response by Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, who happened to be stationed nearby.
In Mana, the avalanche’s impact was immense, swallowing eight accommodation containers and a shed, hurling them hundreds of meters toward the Alaknanda river. Those thrown outside stood little chance. But inside the containers, survival became possible. “These metal shelters saved most of them. They had just enough oxygen to hold on until we got them out,” a senior rescue official said. Had they been in barracks or tents, their fate would have been grim.
Each of these containers, built with reinforced steel and designed for extreme conditions, could hold 12-14 workers. Their solid structure prevented them from being crushed under the weight of the snow. More importantly, they remained sealed off, keeping those inside from being buried alive.
Then there was the response time. Nearly 250 Indian Army and ITBP personnel were stationed at the all-weather border outpost in Mana. They did not wait for orders. Within minutes, they were on the ground, digging through the snow, pulling survivors to safety. “The response was instant because of the border outpost. Army and ITBP personnel started search and rescue efforts without any delay,” a senior ITBP officer told TOI. The presence of military personnel also ensured immediate medical assistance. Most of the injured workers received treatment at the medical inspection (MI) rooms of the Army and ITBP, preventing further casualties.
Had the forces not been stationed in Mana, help would have been painfully slow. Heavy snowfall had already made roads treacherous, and getting a rescue team to the site would have taken hours, maybe longer. “Without their presence, reaching the area would have taken much more time. And that would have cost more lives,” an officer from Chamoli district said.
