National

‘I’ve Never Witnessed Anything Like This’: Survivors Share Their Accounts of the Mana Avalanche Tragedy

Published

1 year ago

March 2, 2025

Tragically, at least four workers from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) lost their lives, with several others still unaccounted for, following a catastrophic avalanche near Mana village in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on February 28.

According to the latest updates from the Chamoli District Magistrate, 54 BRO workers were caught in the avalanche. Of these, 50 have been rescued—four of whom did not survive—while efforts continue to locate the remaining four individuals.

Survivors, many of whom are currently receiving treatment at the Joshimath Army Hospital, recounted the terrifying experience of narrowly escaping the natural disaster.

Manoj Bhandari, one of the survivors, shared his harrowing account with a news agency. “It happened so suddenly that we didn’t even have time to react. A severe storm followed by the avalanche destroyed all our containers. We had to make a frantic dash toward the army camp… There was little that the Army or the government could do; the weather conditions were simply too dreadful,” Bhandari explained. “I have never witnessed anything like it in my entire life. Fortunately, a few of us managed to reach the BRO camp,” he added.

Another survivor, Vijay Pandey, recounted how the avalanche devastated their equipment. “We were inside the container when the avalanche struck, and it carried us away. We suddenly found ourselves buried in snow; there were nine of us in the container, and four are currently hospitalized,” he stated.

Meanwhile, rescue operations are still underway as authorities diligently search for the four missing workers.

National

Pickup Vehicle Crashes Into Divider, Two Killed Including Child

Published

60 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A tragic road accident took place in Uttar Pradesh when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed into a road divider.

The driver and a three-year-old girl died on the spot due to the impact of the crash. Nine passengers who were travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries. They were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Reports said the victims were travelling to their native village to celebrate the Holi festival. A video showing the horrifying scene of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding may have led to the accident. Police have started an investigation into the incident.

National

Five from Karnataka Killed in Car–Container Collision in Andhra Pradesh

Published

24 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Namma Kudla

Andhra Pradesh: Five people from Karnataka were killed on the spot after the car they were travelling in rammed into a container truck from behind in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday.

The accident occurred near Gangavaram in Palamaneru while the victims were on their way to Tirupati temple from Bengaluru. According to police, the car crashed into the rear of a container vehicle with great force, leaving the vehicle completely mangled.

The deceased have been identified as Mohandas (71), Nagaraj (61), Kusuma (61), Jayanti (59), and Pooja (33). All of them were residents of Rajajinagar in Bengaluru.

Preliminary reports suggest that the impact of the collision was so severe that all five occupants died at the scene. Police have registered a case at the Palamaneru police station and further investigation is underway.

More details are awaited.

National

Woman Kills Ex-Lover Over Blackmail in Ballia

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A married woman allegedly killed her former lover in Ballia after he blackmailed her with private videos, police said.

According to police, the victim was identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh. He was reportedly in a relationship with the woman from a nearby village.

Police said the woman wanted to end the relationship. However, Gupta allegedly began blackmailing her using obscene videos and harassed her repeatedly.

Unable to bear the threats, the woman informed her brother and sister-in-law. The trio allegedly planned the murder during a wedding function on February 5.

On February 7, they allegedly called Gupta to the village on a pretext. He was strangled to death, police said. The accused then poured acid on his face to hide his identity and tried to destroy evidence.

An unidentified body with a disfigured face was found on February 10. The crime was later solved during the investigation.

Police have arrested three accused, including the woman, and sent them to judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects involved in the case.