The Uttarakhand glacier disaster came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013, which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.
Sixteen men were rescued safely from a tunnel in the Tapovan project but about 125 were still missing. As night fell in the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work in the difficult to access areas became more difficult, there were fears they may be dead.
Ration being air dropped to nine villages beyond Raini bridge. Special Arrangement.
Ration being air dropped to nine villages beyond Raini bridge that was swept away in floods caused by glacial burst yesterday, says ITBP spokesperson.
- Vijaita Singh
We waited for hours, praying to God and joking with each other, says rescued worker
One of the rescued workers, Rakesh Bhatt, said they were working in the tunnel when water rushed in. We thought it might be rain and that the water will recede. But when we saw mud and debris enter with great speed, we realised something big had happened,” he said.
Three more bodies of the more than 140 missing after the glacier burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been recovered, taking the death toll to 10, officials said on Monday, as massive efforts were underway to rescue at least 30 workers trapped in a tunnel at a power project site.
In Pictures | The aftermath of Uttarakhand glacier disaster
February 08, 2021 16:24 IST
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Images from relief and rescue operations
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Rescue operations under way at Tapovan Tunnel. Two power projects – NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project – were extensively damaged and some houses were swept away.
Photo: PTI
Personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the National Disaster Response Force and State disaster response teams clear the tunnel that has been blocked with slush, debris and silt, and are inching closer towards the stuck workers.
Photo: PTI
A vehicle stuck in the swamp at the site of the Tapovan hydel project as rescue works are under way. NDRF teams also used canine squads to help rescuers detect traces of life under the debris.