Glacier broke off

More than 40 missing after avalanche in India

16 workers were rescued from the masses of snow.(Bild: AFP)

According to media reports, dozens of people have been buried in an avalanche in northern India. Up to 57 people are believed to have been trapped by the falling masses of snow and ice in the accident in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, according to Indian media reports.

The avalanche hit a Border Roads Organization (BRO) camp in the village of Mana, which borders Tibet, officials say. At least 41 road workers are still missing, according to officials. 16 people had been rescued alive by early Friday afternoon (local time), according to NDTV. 

Those rescued are undergoing treatment, "but the extent of their injuries is unclear," Col. Ankur Mahajan of the BRO told the BBC.

More pictures of the rescue operation are shown here:

People surprised during road or clearing operations
Army personnel were also reportedly involved in the search for the remaining trapped victims. However, the rescue work was hampered by heavy snowfall. Most of those trapped were probably surprised by the masses of snow and ice during roadworks or clearing operations. The accident occurred near the village of Mana in the border region with Tibet, as reported by NDTV.

According to the authorities, the avalanche could have been triggered by a so-called glacier or ice break. An official of the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand said that parts of a glacier had broken off, which probably led to the accident.