Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh. and why were they there in the first place? On some scientific research field study / invited by the Indian government?
Ostensibly for a routine few hundred thousand line kilometres of geophysical survey in northern India for mineral exploration. Contracted to a cutout company. It just happened to be the first such survey in India and to coincidentally be at the exact place and time the area turned into an underground nuclear test site.
How badly were they hurt? Were they hurt at all?