LUCKNOW, India (AP) - At least four workers tragically lost their lives after an avalanche swept away a large construction crew working on a highway near India's mountainous border with Tibet, the Indian army reported on Saturday. The incident unfolded near the Mana Pass in northern Uttarakhand state on Friday, where a total of 55 construction workers were initially trapped under heavy snow.

Rescue efforts led to the successful retrieval of 50 workers; however, four of them succumbed to their injuries later. The Indian army released a statement indicating that the search for the remaining five missing workers continued, with multiple teams of rescuers and military helicopters actively scanning the affected area. While the statement did not specify the number of injured individuals, it highlighted that the injured were prioritized for evacuation.

Senior administrative official Chandrashekhar Vashistha revealed that some of the workers had sustained serious injuries and were receiving treatment in local hospitals. Most of the trapped workers were migrant laborers engaged in a highway widening and blacktopping project along a 50-kilometer (31-mile) stretch extending from Mana, the last village on the Indian side, to the Mana Pass, which borders Tibet.

The rescue operations faced significant challenges due to heavy snowfall, which rendered the area largely inaccessible. Kamlesh Kamal, a spokesperson for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, reported that rescuers were forced to work through several feet of snow, battling against snowstorms and poor visibility.

This ecologically sensitive Himalayan region has been adversely impacted by global warming, making it prone to avalanches and flash floods. Previous incidents underline this risk; in 2022, 27 trainee mountaineers were killed in an avalanche in the northern Uttarakhand region. Furthermore, a year prior, a glacier burst in the same state triggered a flash flood that claimed over 200 lives.

The ongoing challenges with rescue efforts highlight the vulnerabilities associated with construction work in such hazardous environments. The avalanche marks another tragic event in a region known for its extreme weather conditions and ecological sensitivity.