26 bodies have been recovered in Tapovan so far and 171 persons are missing after a glacial break in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flooding of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday morning, said state Director General of Police Ashok Kumar on Monday.
Taking to Twitter, Kumar informed that 35 people are supposed to be in the Tunnel where the rescue operation is still going on.
"Final number of dead body recovered in Tapovan till 8 p.m. on 8th February is 26. 171 people still remain missing out of which around 35 are supposed to be in the Tunnel where rescue operation is still going on," the DGP tweeted.
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat held a meeting with ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Uttarakhand Police and other agencies in Joshimath on rescue efforts in Tapovan.
"All four forces are working in coordination. The rescue operation is underway," he said.
Rescue operations continued throughout the day even on the second day of the disaster in Chamoli district on Sunday. Rawat directed the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to release Rs 20 crore funds to carry out rescue and relief operations in the state.
Two power projects NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers caught in tunnels as the waters came rushing in.
Thirteen villages are cut off due to the damage to roads and bridges, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said. Essential food supplies are being sent there by helicopters.
Officials said 27 people were rescued alive. Of these, 12 were saved from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishiganga site.
With no clarity on what led to the disaster and some experts pointing to climate change, scientists also headed to Chamoli to understand what had happened.
A glacial broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.
(With agency inputs)
