Dehradun, March 2 -- Manoj Bhandari, 40, was resting inside one of the eight containers at the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) campsite near Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district early Friday morning, when an avalanche hit the camp around 6am, trapping 55 construction workers under snow.

Bhandari, who hails from Junga village in Uttarkashi, shuddered as he recalled the traumatic experience that lasted for more than 24 hours.

"I was inside my container when suddenly the avalanche hit. The container was swept down the slope, tumbling uncontrollably for hundreds of metres. The sheer force of the avalanche ripped the container apart; its doors and roof torn off and windows shattered," he said. "My two companions and I were thrown o...