a month ago

Glacier burst in Indian Himalayas, leaving dozens trapped

Rescue teams are struggling to reach the site of a glacier burst in Uttarakhand, where 47 people are feared trapped.

AP

Rescue operations are complicated by snowstorms, delaying efforts to reach the remote site near Badrinath / Photo: AP

At least 47 people were feared to be trapped following a glacier burst in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, local media reported on Friday.

The incident took place near a highway in the state's Chamoli region, less than five kilometres (3 miles) from the popular Hindu temple of Badrinath, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of devotees each year.

At least 57 workers engaged in road construction in the border area, which adjoins Tibet, were trapped, senior police officer Nilesh Anand Bharne told news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.

"Out of these, 10 workers have been rescued and sent to the army camp near Mana (village) in critical condition," he said.

Rescue workers were finding it difficult to reach the spot where the 47 were trapped due to heavy snowfall, ANI reported another senior official as saying.