Multiple construction workers can thank their lucky stars for the metal containers they were in. 48 construction workers survived an avalanche thanks to being inside the metal containers.
The incident happened in India near Mana village in Uttarakhand state. The workers were working at a General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) Camp in the region. That's when an avalanche struck, trapping the workers inside the metal containers. Rescue workers managed to save 50 people trapped from the resulting snow. Sadly, four people died from their injuries. Meanwhile, five others were still missing. The Indian Army confirmed on X that eight people died after the avalanche.
"[The] Indian Army conveys heartfelt condolences to the families of the workers who lost their lives in the unfortunate natural disaster," the Army said in the X post.
Avalanche Almost Kills Construction Workers
Rescue workers credit the metal containers with saving the construction workers' lives. Apparently, they had been sleeping in them. They shared eight metal containers. Three of these became buried in six feet of snow. Rescue crews believe it would have been different if they had been staying in tents.
"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. The boxes were "able to withstand the wrecking avalanche and unrelenting weather, which is why a majority of men could be saved."
Satyaprakash Yadav, a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh, described the moment the avalanche hit.
"We managed to get out on our own and reached a nearby army guest house, where we stayed overnight," he said.
Gaurav Kunwar, a former village council member of Mana, told BBC News that the area was known for its work. No one else lived in the area permanently.
"No-one lives there permanently. It's a migratory area and only labourers working on border roads stay there in the winter. There's also some army presence there. We've heard that it has been raining in the area for two days. The road workers were in a camp when the avalanche hit."
