Uttarakhand Glacier burst: toll rises, 171 still missing; CM Trivendra Singh Rawat visits ITBP hospital

Chamoli: Even as the rescue operation is underway at Tapovan tunnel, Joshimath in Uttarakhand, where the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team is deployed to take out debris and try to find survivors from the tunnel, as many as 26 bodies have been recovered from different areas that were affected by the glacier burst in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visits ITBP hospital in Joshimath, Chamoli where injured people are admitted. On Monday, he told ANI, "Tomorrow I plan to visit the affected areas and will also meet people. Our relief and rescue operations are continuing in full swing and we are doing our best to save lives."  

Rawat also held a meeting with officials of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), state Police, and other agencies in Joshimath to review the rescue efforts in Tapovan.

Rescue operation continues at Tapovan tunnel

#WATCH | Rescue operation continues at Tapovan tunnel in Chamoli, Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/eIeAkndKY9

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021

Earlier, the Chief Minister directed the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to release Rs 20 crore funds to carry out rescue and relief operations in the state. 

According to State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), people who were reported missing after the glacier burst and have survived the tragedy are coming forward to report their presence to the administration. "So far 5 people have come forward and reported their presence to administration. Around 35 more people are stuck in a tunnel and efforts are on to rescue them," said SDRF.

#WATCH: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat conducts aerial survey of areas affected due to glacier disaster in Chamoli. pic.twitter.com/Ych084CVpV — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021

The rescue operation, however, is underway at Tapovan tunnel, Joshimath in Uttarakhand, where Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team will work overnight to take out debris and try to find survivors from the tunnel.

ITBP personnel of the 8th Battalion of the force carried nearly 100 bags of ration and utility items from Lata village base (Temporary Helipad) and control station to villages of Jugaju and Juwagwar on Monday. These villages got cut-off from connectivity due to floods in Dhauliganga in the state.

Two helipad activation teams of Indian Air Force Air Traffic Control and Meteorological personnel are at Joshimath and Gaucher for coordination of high availability disaster recovery (HADR) operations. Rescue operations continued throughout the day even on the second day of the disaster in Chamoli district on Monday.

"In Tapovan, had a meeting with IG, DIG, DM, SP, Army, ITBP, senior officials BRO and project in-charge officers of NTPC to review the relief and rescue operations. At the same time, the DM was instructed to brief the media from time to time so that misleading and false news is not spread," tweeted the Chief Minister after the meeting.

SDRF on Monday said that 26 bodies have been recovered from different areas that were affected by the glacier burst in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, while 197 people are still missing. 

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)