At least 14 people have been killed and over 150 are feared missing, after a glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday. The outburst of the glacier increased the water level in the Alaknanda river system which in turn washed away hydroelectric stations and several small bridges. The bursting of glacier forced the authorities to evacuate low-lying vllages.
Several teams of national and state disaster response teams have been deployed to take care of relief and rescue operations. Teams from the ITBP are also working to open up the tunnels where several people are feared trapped. The Army has sent six columns to assist in the rescue operations.
Here are the latest developments on the Uttarakhand glacier burst:
- An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team rescued 12 people who were trapped in an under-construction tunnel.
- Uttarakhand's State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) removed the debris at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli on Monday morning.
- It is feared that 170 people are still missing and around 30 are trapped in a tunnel. Efforts are on to rescue those who are trapped in the tunnel but the rescuers are finding it tough to remove mud and debris in the tunnel.
- The bridges that were washed away due to the deluge connected several villages. It is leearnt that authorities are trying to make arrangements to airdrop food packets to the villages.
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visited Chamoli district on Sunday and announced a compensation of ₹ 4 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster.
- "India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety." Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Sunday. CM Rawat said that PM Modi is in constant touch with him and is monitoring the situation closely. Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted saying that the Modi government will take all necessary steps to help the people of Uttarakhand.
- A 13.2 MW hydroelectric project on the Rishiganga river has been completely destroyed due to the glacial burst. Owned by a private firm, the Power Project near Rani village at the confluence of Rishiganga and Dhauli Ganga has suffered major damage when the river took a severe form in the Dholganga Valley and Alaknanda region due to floods.
