ITBP reaches glacial lake in Reni

DEHRADUN: The rescue and search agencies involved in the Chamoli tragedy found no additional body on Saturday after which the toll till Saturday evening remained at 62 with 142 still missing.

Meanwhile, a team of ITBP personnel reached the glacial lake about 8 km above the disaster-hit Reni village in Rishi Ganga catchment area. The team after reaching there tried to make way for another 14 member team of scientists and rescue workers from SDRF and ITBP, by clearing some muck and debris near the lake.

The 14 member team which had left for the lake on Friday reached Aidar camp on Saturday about half kilometre below the lake. On Sunday it will trek to the lake for its analysis and find ways to drain it out to avert any other disaster.

Earlier on Friday, the rescue workers had recovered one body and a human body part.

Swati Bhadauria, district magistrate Chamoli said, “The rescue workers didn’t find any body till Saturday evening. The toll remains with 142 still missing.”

Bhadauria added, “Out of the total bodies recovered, 34 have been identified while 28 are yet to be identified. Thirteen of the total 62 bodies have been recovered from the 1.7 km long tunnel in the NTPC hydel power project in Tapovan which is in the focus of the rescue operation.”

She also informed, “The rescue workers have been able to clear muck up to a distance of about 162 metres in the Tapovan tunnel but are facing difficulty due to the continuous outflow of water from inside.”

Meanwhile, the rescue workers are also scanning the Alaknanda river downstream the disaster site to search for bodies.

“About 70 personnel in 12 teams of SDRF are searching bodies in the river from Reni village to Srinagar in Pauri Garhwal district alongside the river covering four districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal and Pauri Garhwal. After recovering the bodies, their DNA samples are being collected for DNA test with that of their family members to ascertain their identification,” said Praveen Alok, the SDRF spokesperson.

Of the total 204 missing initially in the disaster, 139 are from NTPC’s Tapovan power plant and 53 from the Rishi Ganga project that was also damaged in the disaster caused by a rockslide and the formation of a glacial lake in the mountainous terrain. About 12 villagers living in the vicinity are also missing.

The rescue workers didn’t find any body till Saturday evening. The toll remains 62 with 142 still missing. SWATI BHADAURIA, Chamoli deputy magistrate