Uttarakhand Glacier burst: Around 203 people are missing including 11 dead bodies recovered, says CM
Chamoli: Glaciers burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, led to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system causing huge devastation in the upper regions of the economically fragile Himalayas.
The avalanche swept away roads and forced authorities to evacuate villagers.
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said that “Around 203 people are missing including 11 dead bodies recovered as of now. We weren’t aware of a subsidiary company’s project Tapovan till yesterday. We’re estimating that 35 people are stuck in another tunnel. Rescue operation underway.”
Out of the 203 workmen missing; 148 were employed at NTPC Plant and 22 at Rishiganaga. The rescue teams are trying to evacuate the other 30 people caught in a 2.5 km long tunnel since last night. Twelve others trapped in an under-construction tunnel were rescued by Indo-Tibetan Border Police Team.
Today, SDRF members had to wait for the level of the river to lower, to begin rescuing people who are stranded in the tunnel.
NDRF commandant Praveen Kumar Tiwari released a statement on the progress in the rescue operation “Our team reached at 3 am. They’ve started the rescue operations. We hope for the best and are doing our best. We’re using the latest and the best of the equipment. The terrain is so rugged, and the temp reached up to sub-zero (conditions). In such conditions, it is difficult to conduct rescue operations. But our team is doing its best.”
After his visit to Chamoli district on Sunday, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the devastated families.
PM Narendra Modi on Sunday tweeted “Am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there. Have been continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work, and relief operations.”
Grievously injured individuals will be aided with 50,000 rupees along with additional compensation of 2 lakh rupees from the PM’s National Relief Fund. The glacier disaster is the macabre of the monsoon floods in Uttarakhand in 2013, which wreaked havoc killing 6,000 people.