Uttarakhand: A glacier broke off at Joshimath in Chamoli district, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river. Nanda Devi Glacier Burst in Uttarakhand, Dhauli Ganga River, Chamoli Flood Live: Eighteen bodies have been recovered and 202 are still missing in the deluge following a glacier burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday. Multiple agencies have joined hands to rescue at least 30 workers trapped in a tunnel at a power project site.
DRDO-Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment Director LK Sinha has informed that his team today did an aerial survey of the glacier where incident took place yesterday and found that a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier. “Prima facie it looks that a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier and came down in the narrow valley. In the valley it formed a lake which burst later and caused the damage. The data is being analysed by our scientists in detail and if required, they would again go to get more details,” Sinha said.
#WATCH | Aerial view of the devastation site in Chamoli, #Uttarakhand from the helicopter deployed for distribution of relief material. pic.twitter.com/UIx9FTcyo0
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021
ALSO READ | Himalayan Horror, Once Again: Chamoli flash floods after Nanda Devi glacier burst shows Mother Nature’s fury
Earlier, CM Rawat said that Rishi Ganga project at Raini has been washed away completely. “5 kms from there is under construction Tapovan project. As of now, around 203 people missing, 11 bodies found. There was a subsidiary company at Tapovan with 24-25 people, no information on them till yesterday,” the CM said.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: State Disaster Management Force (SDRF) carries out rescue operation at the flash flood site in Chamoli. pic.twitter.com/1X0oqeArkK
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021
The breaching if glacier sheet triggered a massive flood in Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers. Two power projects — NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project — were extensively damaged with a number of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in.
Highlights
Over 30 people from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri who worked at a hydro project in Uttrarakhand's Tapovan are missing after flash floods triggered by the breaking off a glacier caused extensive damage there. The missing people belong to Nighasan tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri district. The glacier burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district had triggered an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations on Sunday. (PTI)
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Till 8 pm of 8th February, 26 bodies have been recovered. 171 people still remain missing out of which around 35 are supposed to be in the Tunnel where rescue operation is still going on, says Ashok Kumar, DGP, Uttarakhand. According to Uttarakhand Disaster Management Centre, 197 people are missing.(ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday quoted scientists to say that the areas where avalanches struck on Sunday was not prone to such activities, and the calamity might have been caused by an "abrupt sliding down" of millions of tonnes of snow from a hill, rather than due to a glacier burst. He also appealed to people to not make the tragedy an occasion for building an "anti-development narrative", as he left for the flood-hit areas of Chamoli for an on-the-spot assessment of relief and rescue operations.
He made the statement on the cause of the tragedy after holding a meeting here with ISRO scientists and officials of the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on finding out the exact reason for the calamity that has left at least 20 dead and over 150 missing. He said ISRO officials showed him pictures in which no glacier is visible at the place where the burst started, but only a naked hill can be seen. Something is visible on the top of it, he said, adding it might have been the trigger point from where the huge amount of snow slid down, causing the flashflood in the Rishiganga and Dhauli Ganga rivers. "According to the scientists, the area where the calamity struck is not prone to avalanches and apparently it was not caused by a glacier burst as initial reports suggested," he said. "It was due to millions of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on the top of a naked hill," Rawat said. (PTI)
Uttarakhand flood: The Uttarakhand Police on Monday said bodies of 24 people have been recovered so far from different places.
China on Monday conveyed its condolences and sympathy to the families of the bereaved and the injured in the glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at 11 people dead and over 200 missing who are feared dead. "We have noted that northern India had a massive flood. We want to express our condolences to the victims and sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing. (PTI)
Global warming or maybe a Western disturbance bringing fresh snow that melted could have triggered the inundation in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, experts said on Monday as they scrambled to understand the reasons for the avalanche and floods that wreaked havoc in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. READ MORE
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that his government is taking all measures to support the people of Uttarakhand, parts of which were hit by floods following a glacier burst on Sunday, and assured a delegation of state MPs that it is working to further strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural disaster in future.
Glacier burst: They had lost hope of survival when one of them found his mobile phone network working, helping them contact the authorities who rescued them from an underground tunnel at Tapovan in Uttarakahnd's Chamoli where flash floods wreaked havoc following a glacier burst. READ FULL STORY
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst: Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said a comprehensive analysis of the entire incident is being carried out to avert future tragedies. In an interview with PTI, he said the incident appeared to have happened due to the breaking of the glacier and the Chief Secretary has been instructed to find out the real reasons. Preliminary estimates show that around 200 people are still missing, while 11 bodies have been found. "A DRDO team is already studying the cause of this tragedy and we have also sought the help of ISRO scientists and experts for the same," he said. After a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to find the reasons of this incident, "we will build an elaborate plan to avert any potential tragedy going forward", Rawat said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah interacted with Uttarakhand MPs and discuss relief efforts and future course of action over Uttarakhand glacier disaster.
Chamoli Flood Live: Uttarkhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat conducted a review meeting on disaster relief operation following glacier burst in Chamoli. He released Rs 20 crores from State Disaster Response Fund for relief and rescue operation.
Chamoli Flood: Jharkhand government has issued helpline numbers for people of Jharkhand who are stranded at Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
Glacier Burst Uttarakhand Live: DRDO-Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment Director LK Sinha has informed that his team today did an aerial survey of the glacier where incident took place yesterday and found that a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier. "Prima facie it looks that a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier and came down in the narrow valley. In the valley it formed a lake which burst later and caused the damage. The data is being analysed by our scientists in detail and if required, they would again go to get more details," Sinha said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says the whole country is with the people of Uttarakhand and it is important that relief operations are not hindered in the next few days. The glacier burst in Chamoli district triggered a deluge killing 11 people, while over 140 are missing. "The whole country is with Uttarakhand. The most important thing right now is that relief operations are not hindered in the next few days," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. "I am with those affected with all my heart and pray for your safety," he said.
Uttarakhand Glacier Break-off Live: A joint team of ITBP, Army, SDRF and NDRF has entered the Tapovan tunnel in Chamoli for recce.
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Live: Magsaysay awardee Chandi Prasad Bhatt said the glacial burst near Chamoli district's Raini village, the cradle of the Chipko movement, should serve as a wake-up call to stop the rampage on the Himalayan ecological system in the name of development. According to the environmentalist, who was a Chipko movement leader, projects like the Rishi Ganga hydel project, which bore the brunt of Sunday's calamity, should not have been given environmental clearance. Bhatt said that in 2010 he had written to the then environment minister warning against the adverse effects of the project. "Had my advice been heeded, the loss of lives and largescale damage to property at the project site could have been prevented. The mindless rampaging on the Himalayas in the name of development must stop," he said. Bhatt said the Himalayas are too delicate to bear too much human intervention. Bhatt, who has also been honoured with the International Gandhi Peace Prize, said, "Sunday's avalanche was a wake-up call and so was the 2013 Kedarnath deluge in which thousands perished but authorities refuse to learn from natural calamities." A devastating natural disaster in the form of torrential rains of unseen magnitude had struck Kedarnath on 16-17 June in 2013. The banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath collapsed due to a cloudburst that had resulted in a major flash flood causing widespread destruction in Uttarakhand and led to heavy losses to infrastructure, agriculture lands, human and animal lives.
"The Chipko movement had begun from Raini village after largescale devastation in the Rishi Ganga and Alakananda Valleys caused by a devastating flood in 1970. The flood awakened the locals to the need of saving the forests of Raini," said Bhatt who lives in Gopeshwar. The movement had resulted in a ban on cutting of trees in the catchment area of the Alaknanda river, he said. Women from Raini village of Uttarakhand had started the movement in the 1970s by clinging onto trees to prevent them from being cut. Though the movement was started to prevent the felling of trees, it went on to become an inspiration for environment conservation. (PTI)
Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh in Uttarakhand: "Around 34 people are trapped inside the tunnel. We have been able to access up to about 70 metres inside the tunnel, we have to further move for about 180 metres. Communication has not been established yet. We will monitor glaciers through remote monitoring or by setting up posts nearby. If people are alerted in advance then many lives can be saved."
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Live: After bridge collapsed in Raini village during glacier burst, around 13 villages have been cut off near areas such as Malari and Ghansali. There is heavy deployment of ITBP there near the India-China border. We have alerted them, says Manoj Rawat, ADG ITBP in Joshimath.
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst LIVE: Union Minister RK Singh has reached Joshimath to take stock of the situation in the wake of the flash floods that hit Chamoli yesterday. The rescue operation is underway. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat says that a total of 203 people are still missing.
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Live News: DGP says the workers who are missing are most probably from eastern UP and Bihar. "I have been contacted in this regard that 30 of these people (missing) are from Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh," says Ashok Kumar, DGP of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand Glacier Burst LIVE: "Deeply appreciate the solidarity expressed by my colleagues around the world on the tragic loss of lives caused by a glacier breach in Chamoli yesterday. Value your support in this difficult time," External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar.
Geological Survey of India DG on Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Live: One of our officers is already in Dehradun. We are also planning to constitute a team of experts who will visit the site and undertake a physical recce and use the data that is available through satellite imageries. We will do an assessment. Post this devastation, we will again constitute a committee as it is too early to predict regarding the cause of incident. Prima facie, it is glacial calving at highest altitude in Rishiganga and Dhauliganga area and upper reaches of that.
Uttarakhand Glacier burst Live News: Many IAF movements took place including 2 Hercules, 2 An-32 and 4 helicopters since Sunday. Movement of NDRF teams and their equipment also took place. Since morning, 3 Mi-17, 1 Chinook and 1 ALH moved. 9 outgoing and 6 incoming movements till now, says Dehradun Airport Director
Uttarakhand Flood LIVE: Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat says Rishi Ganga project at Raini has been washed away completely. "5 kms from there is under construction Tapovan project. As of now, around 203 people missing, 11 bodies found. There was a subsidiary company at Tapovan with 24-25 people, no information on them till yesterday."
Indian Air Force on rescue operations in Uttarakhand LIVE: Starting from 6:45 am today, 6 Mi 17 sorties, 1 ALH sortie and 1 Chinook sortie have been carried out. Transportation of required load from Dehradun to Joshimath, including 122 personnel, around 5T of load and 6 rescue canines, has been completed. An ALH was tasked for the reconnaissance of the affected area by 6 scientists of DRDO along with their specialised equipment. Further requirements are being coordinated with relevant authorities.
Chamoli Flood Live: NDRF DG SN Pradhan says rescue operation underway in 2.5 km long tunnel. "Problem lies with debris which's gradually being cleared. 27 people alive,11 dead,153 missing. Out of 153, 40-50 are stuck in tunnel. There's a possibility of remaining people being washed away in Uttarakhand".
Uttarakhand Flood LIUVE: IAF teams left for the avalanche-hit areas of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district early on Monday to ramp up relief efforts, while rescuers pulled out three more bodies of the people missing in the glacier burst taking the toll to 10. Uttarakahnd DGP Ashok Kumar said 143 people are still missing, a day after the glacier burst triggered a massive avalanche and floods in the Alaknanda river system. The efforts are focussed at the moment on rescuing 30-35 people trapped in a 250-metre long tunnel at Tapovan. A total of "153 people were missing from the two hydel projects at Raini and Tapovan out of which 10 bodies have been recovered while 143 are still missing," Kumar said. The two hydel projects bore the brunt of the "one time " mishap in which the Rishi Ganga hydel project at Raini was totally destroyed and the one at Tapovan suffered partial damage. Though all arrangements are in place there is no need for any heli rescue in the affected areas.Only two villages including Raini are cut off where essentials are being supplied, the DGP said. The sudden flood in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Homes along the way were also swept away as the waters rushed down the mountain sides in a raging torrent. There were fears of damage in human settlements downstream, including in heavily populated areas. Many villages were evacuated and people taken to safer areas. (PTI)
Uttarakhand Flood Live: "We were informed that 178 people were issued passes here. Of which, 15 were rescued yesterday. Rescue operation underway in another tunnel. There is possibility that 35 people are stranded in it. Priority is to rescue them as soon as possible," says Neeru Garg, DIG Garhwal range.
Uttarakhand Live: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has informed that around 203 people are missing including 11 dead bodies recovered as of now. 'We were not aware of a subsidiary company's project Tapovan till yesterday. We are estimating that 35 people are stuck in another tunnel. Rescue operation is underway.'
Uttarakhand Flood Live: It is a very difficult situation, but ITBP successfully rescued people from first tunnel and now they are working on second tunnel which is approx 3 km long. NDRF and military are also on it. By afternoon we can expect some positive results, says Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand Flood, Nanda Devi Glacier Live Updates: Rescue operation continues on the second day at Joshimath in Chamoli where a flash flood triggered due to glacier burst occured on Sunday. 12 people were rescued from one tunnel yesterday. The second tunnel is being cleared with the help of JCB machines to rescue people.
Uttarakhand Chamoli Flood: "The bigger tunnel has been cleared till 70-80 meter. Debris blocked it, it is being cleared with the help of JCB. It is around 180 meter long and around 30-40 workers are trapped since yesterday. Efforts are underway to rescue them," says Aparna Kumar, DIG Sector HQ, ITBP Dehradun.
Nanda Devi Glacier, Chamoli Flood LIVE: The Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that a team of Scientists of DRDO-SASE flown in last night to Dehradun is leaving for Joshimath area for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Uttarakhand Flood, Nanda Devi Glacier, LIVE: Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering says "sending prayers for the souls lost to the Uttarkhand flood and wishing courage to those who are fighting the disaster. May those who are still missing be found in good health. We are with you, dear friends in India."
Chamoli Flood LIVE: Indian Army says after tireless efforts of personnel, including Engineering Task Force, the mouth of the tunnel was cleared. Work continued throughout the night with earthmovers by installing generators and search lights. Field Hospital providing medical aid at the incident site: Indian Army
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