ALL-OUT RESCUE EFFORT IN CHAMOLI
The death toll in the Uttarakhand disaster rose to 32 with 6 more bodies being recovered, officials said on Tuesday as multiple agencies raced against time to reach about 30 workers trapped inside a tunnel at a power project site and 174 people remained missing.
About 600 rescue workers are involved in the operation, 2 days after the sudden flood in the Alaknanda river system in Chamoli that was possibly triggered by an avalanche or glacier burst.
In Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Centre is working in close coordination with the Uttarakhand government.
"Rescue operation to evacuate these people is going on a war-footing and all-out efforts are being made for searching missing persons,” he said.
The State Emergency Operation Centre said 6 bodies were found on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 32, and 174 people are still missing.
With the hours ticking by, fears escalated about those missing since the disaster struck on Sunday morning, according to officials.
The missing people include those working at NTPC’s 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away.
Some family members of the missing workers are camping at Tapovan, waiting for some news about them.
Teams of the Army, ITBP, NDRF and SDRF coordinated efforts to rescue 25-35 people who were working in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project when the waters came rushing in.
"Clearing of debris and slush continued the whole night. About 120 metres of the tunnel entrance stretch is now clear," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said in Delhi. "The height of the accumulated slush has reduced more. ITBP personnel are waiting to enter as soon as any movement deep inside the tunnel is possible," he said.