Site of the Tapovan hydel project as rescue works underway, a day after a glacier broke off in Joshimath causing massive flood in Dhauli Ganga River, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Monday, Feb 8, 2021. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)Uttarakhand glacier burst HIGHLIGHTS: In the aftermath of the Uttarakhand glacier burst, 26 bodies have been recovered till now, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said on Monday. As of 8 pm today, 171 people still remain missing out of which around 35 are supposed to be in the tunnel where rescue operations are underway.
A multi-agency rescue operation including — Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) — is in full swing to release people still stuck in the tunnels. The forces have cleared 90 meter stretch of debris in the big tunnel at Tapovan till now, with about 100 meters of clearing still left to do.
To take stock of the situation, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday visited Chamoli district and said that saving lives was their first priority. Speaking to media persons, Rawat said that they would be successful in clearing the entire debris stretch by today evening.
Yesterday, Rawat announced Rs 4 lakh financial assistance each for the families of those killed in the mishap.
The glacier burst took place at the Rishiganga power project after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday morning and damaged the Rishiganga dam on Alaknanda river.
ITBP carrying out rescue operation in Uttarakhand. (Photo: ITBP)
ITBP personnel rescue workers from tunnel. (Photo: ITBP)
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.
According to BJP MP Anil Baluni, a Rajya Sabha member from the state, Modi said that the central government stands with the people of the hill-state in this hour of crisis and is constantly monitoring the ongoing rescue operations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda were also present at the meeting. Modi said several institutions of the central government, be it the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force, Army or Air Force, are part of the rescue mission and state bodies are also working effectively, according to Baluni. PTI
An engineer from Kashmir is among those missing following a glacier burst in Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday. Basharat Ahmad Zargar, a resident of Soura area of Srinagar and working as a private company civil engineer at the Rishi Ganga power project in Uttarakhand, went missing after the glacier burst on Sunday morning, the officials said. They said Zargar was still untraceable.
"We have taken up the issue with the government of Uttarakhand. We are in touch with disaster management authority there. The rescue operations are on," Jammu and Kashmir disaster management Director Aamir Ali said. PTI
Rescue operations underway at Tapovan tunnel
Site of the Tapovan hydel project as rescue works underway, a day after a glacier broke off in Joshimath causing massive flood in Dhauli Ganga River, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
China conveys condolences to bereaved families of Uttarakhand's flood tragedy victims
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 here.
"We hope the missing people will be rescued at an early date," he said in response to a question.
(PTI)
26 bodies recovered so far, says Uttarakhand Police
So far, bodies of 26 people have been recovered from different places, the Uttarakhand Police informed in a latest update.
In a tweet, DGP, Uttarakhand, IPS Ashok Kumar said 26 bodies have been recoved from the Tapovan tunnel till 8 pm today. He added that 171 people still remain missing out of which around 35 are supposed to be in the tunnel where rescue operations are underway.
Joint team of ITBP, Army, SDRF, and NDRF inside Tapovan tunnel for rescue operation
Joint team of NDRF, SDRF, Army conducting rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel: CM
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was in the evening briefed by MS Rawat, ADG Western Command ITBP, on the rescue operations being carried out at Tapovan tunnel in Joshimath.
Speaking to news agency ANI, CM Rawat informed that a joint team of NDRF, SDRF and the Army is conducting a rescue operation. Briefing on the rescue work being carried out, he said the team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel and it may take 2-3 hours to reach the T-point. Rawat added that efforts are underway to safely rescue those stuck in the tunnel.
Power minister RK Singh visits Tapovan tunnel
RK Singh, Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy, MoS in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, GOI inside the Tapovan tunnel where the ITBP jawans carrying out search and rescue operations.
PM Modi in constant touch, has assured of all possible help: CM Trivendra Singh Rawat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in constant touch with the state government since the tragedy struck and has assured all possible help for Uttarakhand, said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday, while adding that he himself is monitoring the relief work. Speaking to PTI, he said the Centre as well as many states have offered help.
Ration kits are being being provided by the Uttarakhand government to those displaced from their homes, the CM informed. Asserting that priority is to save lives and rehabilitate displaced people, he said economic loss as a result of the tragedy will be ascertained in due course.
Breaking of glacier may have caused Chamoli tragedy: CM
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat informed that preliminary estimates show around 200 people missing, while bodies of around 11 people have been found. Speaking to PTI, he said comprehensive analysis is being undertaken to find reasons of incident and build plan to avert future tragedy.
He said breaking of glacier seems to have caused the Chamoli tragedy and added that experts from DRDO, ISRO and other agencies being roped in.
To take stock of the situation, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday visited Chamoli district and said that saving lives was their first priority. Speaking to media persons, Rawat said that they would be successful in clearing the entire debris stretch by today evening and hopefully be able to save the lives of 32 people stuck inside.
Rawat lauded the "collective efforts" of ITBP, NDRF and all the other agencies involved in dealing with the disaster.
The forces have cleared 90 meter stretch of debris in the big tunnel at Tapovan till now, with about 100 meters of clearing still left to do.Once the forces work their way into the tunnel they would be able to rescue the 32 people still stuck inside.
A multi-agency operation to rescue an estimated 34 people trapped inside a big tunnel at Tapovan was carried out overnight. These included Personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and some state disaster response teams.
After rescue authorities worked their way into the tunnels, 19 dead bodies have been recovered so far. Debris are being removed from the tunnels in Tapovan.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday visited Chamoli district to take stock of the situation post the glacier disaster that has now claimed 19 lives. Rawat talking to media persons on the site gave assurance of the rescue work done since the disaster hit with rapid supply of machines and other infrastructure constantly coming in.
Pictures- Twitter/PIB Uttrakhand
Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Monday said that Uttarakhand authorities are constantly receiving directions from the Central government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah constantly keeping in touch. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keeping track and Home Minister Amit Shah is also reviewing the situation every half an hour,” Nishank said.
As rescue operations continue at the Rishiganga power project 19 bodies have been recovered till now.Out of these 4 were recovered from Rudraprayag and15 from Chamoli. Relief and rescue operations are underway at the affected sites.
In the aftermath of the Uttarakhand glacier burst, 10 bodies -- 3 from Tapovan and 7 in the route to Karnprayag --have been recovered till now, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said on Monday. Twelve people on Sunday were rescued from the smaller tunnel, Kumar said adding that efforts are underway to open the bigger tunnel where more people are feared trapped.
Currently, 32 people from the first tunnel and 121 people from the second one are still missing. Kumar also urged people to not panic as rescue work is in full swing.
Rescue operations in one of the tunnels of Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project intensified Monday as at least 30 people are still trapped inside. "Around 300 ITBP jawans are deployed to clear the tunnel, " ITBP Spokesperson Vivek Pandey told ANI. As operations are underway, “more teams will be sent there if it is required, we are focussing on rescuing people from the tunnel first,” Pandey added.
Reacting to the glacier burst, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was said that he is 'deeply saddened' by the loss of lives and expressed condolences to families of victims affected, his spokesperson informed on Tuesday. The United Nations stands ready to contribute to ongoing rescue and assistance efforts if necessary, he added. (With inputs from ANI)
Rescue operations have resumed at one of the tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project. The sudden surge in water levels in the Dhauli Ganga at around 8 pm Monday prompted authorities to withhold operations temporarily. One more body was recovered after their resumption.
Currently, eight bodies have been recovered from the operation in Tapovan's Dhauliganga, in Chamoli district, but over 120 people are still missing. The sudden surge in the water level in the Dhauli Ganga at around 8 pm prompted authorities to suspend rescue operations underway to extricate 30-35 people trapped in the debris clogging one of the tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project.
The sudden flood in the middle of the day 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.
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.(PTI)
The flooding, which occurred in the vicinity of Joshimath, swept away the barrage used to divert water at NTPC Ltd’s under-construction 520 MW-capacity Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower project on the Dhauliganga, it is learnt. Sources said that while the civil structure survived the flood, at least a couple of gates of the spillway have been swept away. A boring machine was stuck inside a tunnel of the run-of-river plant, they said. “An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operations are on, (the) situation is being monitored continuously with the help (of the) district administration and police,” an NTPC spokesperson said. Read Full Story
Following the breaking of a part of Nanda Devi Glacier in Uttarakhand, an alert has been issued in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, directing District Magistrates (DM) and police in-charges of districts on the banks of Ganga to keep strict vigil. The authorities have also been asked to evacuate people living on the banks in case of need. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) flood company have been instructed to remain on high alert. Read Full Story
The Pakistan foreign ministry sent out a condolence message over the Uttarakhand tragedy. "Saddened over loss of precious lives due to flash floods caused by glacier break-off in Uttarakhand. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. We pray for the safety and early rescue and recovery of those missing," the foreign office tweeted.
Uttarakhand Police says water level rising again, people near riverbank in Chamoli being alerted. PTI
Uttarakahnd DGP Ashok Kumar said rescue work at the NTPC's 900-metre long Tabovan Tunnel had to be halted due to rise in water level. "We were able to dig 150 mtrs. of the tunnel but after a rise in water level had to halt the work. Most missing persons were working at the two projects. We expect to get a clear picture on their identities by Monday morning," Ashok Kumar said.
"Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured," said US State Department.
The water level of the Dhauli Ganga river at Joshimath flowed at a perilously high level, breaching all records, Central Water Commission officials said after a part of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district leading to massive floods. The glacial burst triggered an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and trapped more than 100 labourers who are feared dead. The intensity of the river's flow in a short span of time was such that it engulfed whatever came in its way. --PTI
Visuals from areas affected by the flash flood in Uttarakhand. (Photos: PTI)
Visuals of rescue operation underway after Uttarakhand glacier break. (Photos: ITBP, Indian Army). Click to see all 10 photos
After successful rescue operaion in the first tunnel from where the team rescued 16 workers, Vivek Pandey, ITBP PRO, Uttarakhand, said they are focussing on the second one where around 30 people are trapped. "Now, we are focusing on second tunnel, that is tunnel number one, we've learnt that around 30 people are trapped there. We will be carrying out night operations also. Our teams are already on the job & we hope that we'll be able to resue them."
BJP leader Uma Bharti Sunday said the Uttarakhand flood tragedy triggered by a glacier burst is a matter of concern as well as a warning, and added that as a minister she had spoken against having any power project on the Ganga and its major tributaries. Bharti was the minister of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation during the first term of the Modi government. In a series of tweets in Hindi, she said the glacier breaking off had damaged a power project, triggering the massive crisis. --PTI
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has urged his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat to ensure immediate help and rescue of pilgrims from Gujarat stranded in the northern state after a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off near Joshimath in Chamoli district Sunday leading to massive floods in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers. Several people are feared dead in the glacier burst. Read more
Director General of National Disaster Response Force said that all the teams of ITBP, Army, State Disaster Response Force and State Police will work through the night to ensure the safety of every missing person in Uttarakhand.
ITBP personnel carry rescued workers on stretchers.
Republic of Turkey reaches out, assures all possible help.
Regarding Chamoli incident, President Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah talked to CM Trivendra Singh Rawat over phone. UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani also assured of all possible help.
Film personalities, including CBFC chairperson-writer Prasoon Joshi, actors Dia Mirza, Shraddha Kapoor, and filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor on Sunday sent out prayers for the safety of people of Uttarakhand as a glacier broke off at Joshimath in Chamoli district, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river.
The flood caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas, with 50-100 labourers working at the Rishi Ganga power project missing.
Shraddha Kapoor took to Twitter and wrote, “Distressing to hear about the glacier breaking off in #Uttarakhand. Praying everyone’s safety there.” Read more
Expressing pain over the Uttarakhand tragedy Rajnath Singh said two helicopters from the Armed Forces have been moved from Bareily to Joshimath for rescue and relief operations. "In this difficult time, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people affected by the tragedy," he added.
"Concerned at the disturbing news of 'glacier break',flooding and destruction in Uttarakhand, and the resultant projection of danger in the downstream catchment of River Ganga," Congress president Sonia Gandhi said.
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat returned to Dehradun after reviewing situation on the ground. "I am now meeting disaster management team comprising of state officials and that from Army and ITBP. I will be meeting press shortly and update everyone on the situation," he said.
Over 50 people are feared dead after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke of on Sunday morning near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, triggering massive flash floods in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers. At least 8-10 bodies have been recovered from the rivers so far, ANI reported. Click to know all what we kno so far
Rescue operation underway at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli.
ITBP team approaches a tunnel and then rescues a worker trapped inside.
Water flow at Srinagar Dam is normal.
ITBP personnel approach the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli to rescue 16-17 people who are trapped.
PM Narendra Modi expresses concern over the situation in Uttarakhand, assures all help in fighting the calamity.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) says no adverse weather expected in Chamoli, Tapovan and Joshimath of Uttarakhand on February 7 and 8.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday called his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat over phone and enquired about the flood situation in the northern state, an official release here said. He offered support to Rawat in this hour of crisis, the release said. A glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and causing large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. Earlier, Kumar prayed for the safety of people trapped in the northern state as well as those engaged in carrying out relief and rescue operations. --PTI
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences towards people of Uttarakhand, and urged his Congress colleagues in the sate to join the relief work.
Uttarakhand DGP urges people in affected areas not to panic.
An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operation is on, situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and police, said NTPC Limited.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police teams assist rescue and relief operations near Tapovan power project.
Several houses on the river bank were also damaged in the Uttarakhand flash floods.
Indian Army has deployed choppers & troops for supporting Uttarakhand govt & NDRF to tackle the flood. Military station near Rishikesh actively involved in coordination of rescue & relief operations with local administration. Army headquarters monitoring the situation. Six columns (around 600 personnel) of the Indian Army moving towards the flood-affected areas, said Army officials. Four Army columns, two Medical teams, and one Engineering Task Force have been deployed at Reni village in Tapovan area of Chamoli, Uttarakhand. Army helicopters are on aerial recce, said Indian Army
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to chair a virtual meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee on the glacier burst to review the relief and rehabilitation work, reported PIB, Uttarakhand.