BRO personnel avert landslide disaster in Kargil, two karmayogis commended
Synopsis
Two BRO personnel in Kargil — Furman Ali and Charanjit Sarkar — prevented what could have been a fatal landslide during high-altitude formation cutting work. A viral video captured the rock face collapsing precisely where the team had been standing seconds earlier, making their split-second decisions the difference between life and death. Director General Lt Gen Harpal Singh personally commended both men.
Key Takeaways
A major landslide was averted in Kargil, Ladakh during formation cutting work by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Sunday .
Furman Ali raised the alarm after spotting signs of an impending landslide, allowing workers to escape.
Charanjit Sarkar swiftly moved tracked drilling equipment to safety before the rock face collapsed.
Both personnel belong to the 762 Border Roads Task Force under Project Vijayak .
Director General of Border Roads, Lieutenant General Harpal Singh , personally commended both for their courage and timely action.
Project Vijayak manages approximately 1,400 km of high-altitude roads and 80 major bridges in Ladakh's strategic corridors.
A potentially catastrophic landslide was narrowly averted in Kargil, Ladakh, after two personnel of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) displayed extraordinary presence of mind during formation cutting work on a sheer mountain rock face, officials confirmed. The incident, which unfolded on Sunday, has since drawn wide attention after a video shared by the BRO captured the near-disaster in real time.
How the Crisis Unfolded
A team from the 762 Border Roads Task Force of Project Vijayak was engaged in formation cutting — a high-risk process of carving roads through solid rock on steep mountain faces — when Furman Ali, a BRO personnel, spotted early signs of an impending landslide. Ali immediately raised an alarm, prompting workers in the vicinity to scramble to safety.
Simultaneously, another personnel, Charanjit Sarkar, acted swiftly to move tracked drilling equipment away from the danger zone. Barely moments later, a large section of the rock face came crashing down precisely where the team had been working. Without Ali's warning and Sarkar's quick action, the consequences could have been fatal.
What the BRO Said
The BRO issued a statement recognising both personnel for their role in preventing the mishap. 'The two displayed exemplary alertness during formation cutting work. On detecting signs of an impending landslide, Ali promptly raised the alarm, while Sarkar swiftly moved the drilling equipment to safety,' the organisation said.
'Their presence of mind averted a potential mishap. The Director General of Border Roads (Lieutenant General Harpal Singh) commended both karmayogis for their courage and timely action. BRO is proud of its karmayogis, whose alertness and dedication safeguard lives even in the most challenging terrain,' the statement added. Lieutenant General Harpal Singh, Director General of Border Roads, personally commended both men.
About Project Vijayak and Its Strategic Importance
Project Vijayak is named after Operation Vijay of 1999, during which Indian armed forces recaptured the Kargil heights from the Pakistan Army. The project is currently responsible for building and maintaining approximately 1,400 km of high-altitude roads and 80 major bridges across some of the most formidable terrain in the country.
The project oversees two strategically critical lines of communication in the Western Indus Corridor — the Zojila-Kargil-Leh and Nimmu-Padam-Darcha axes — previously managed under Project Himank. Following a realignment of project boundaries, roads and airfields in the Western Shyok Corridor and Nubra Corridor (Siachen Glacier) were also brought under Project Vijayak's purview.
The Risk of Formation Cutting at High Altitude
Formation cutting — the blasting and chiselling of roads through live rock at altitude — is among the most hazardous construction activities undertaken by the BRO. Officials noted that in several locations, teams must cut through solid rock to create access to strategic positions, making constant vigilance essential. 'The teams are constantly working to create new roads for easier access to strategic locations. In several places, they are cutting through rocks to create roads. This is where absolute vigil is necessary,' an official said.
This incident underscores the daily risks faced by BRO personnel working in Ladakh's extreme terrain, where geologically unstable slopes, sub-zero temperatures, and sheer rock faces combine to create life-threatening conditions even during routine operations. The recognition of Ali and Sarkar is part of a broader BRO effort to highlight the human cost — and courage — behind India's strategic road-building mission along its northern borders.
Point of View
But by split-second human judgement in some of the world's most unforgiving terrain. The BRO's decision to publicly commend Ali and Sarkar — and share video of the near-miss — is as much a morale and recruitment signal as it is a safety story. What receives less attention is the systemic risk: formation cutting through geologically active mountain faces, often in seismically sensitive zones, with limited real-time monitoring. Individual heroism should not be the primary safeguard against structural collapse in a theatre as strategically critical as Ladakh.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during the BRO landslide incident in Kargil?
A BRO team was conducting formation cutting work on a mountain face in Kargil, Ladakh, when personnel Furman Ali spotted signs of an impending landslide and raised an alarm, allowing workers to escape. Charanjit Sarkar simultaneously moved drilling equipment to safety, and moments later a section of the rock face collapsed at the exact spot where the team had been working.
Who are Furman Ali and Charanjit Sarkar?
Furman Ali and Charanjit Sarkar are personnel of the 762 Border Roads Task Force under Project Vijayak of the Border Roads Organisation. They were commended by Director General of Border Roads, Lieutenant General Harpal Singh, for their presence of mind in averting what could have been a fatal landslide.
What is Project Vijayak?
Project Vijayak is a BRO project named after Operation Vijay of 1999, during which Indian armed forces recaptured the Kargil heights. It is responsible for building and maintaining approximately 1,400 km of high-altitude roads and 80 major bridges across the Western Indus, Western Shyok, and Nubra corridors in Ladakh.
What is formation cutting and why is it dangerous?
Formation cutting is the process of carving roads through solid rock on steep mountain faces, typically using tracked drilling equipment and explosives. It is one of the most hazardous construction activities undertaken by the BRO because geologically unstable slopes can give way without warning, particularly in seismically active high-altitude regions like Kargil and Ladakh.
How has the BRO responded to the incident?
The BRO publicly recognised both Furman Ali and Charanjit Sarkar, describing them as exemplary 'karmayogis' whose alertness safeguards lives in challenging terrain. The organisation shared a video of the incident and noted that Director General Lieutenant General Harpal Singh personally commended both personnel for their courage and timely action.
