Uttarakhand Floods: Over 170 people still missing, 32 bodies recovered

More than 170 people still remain missing as rescue operations continue in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district which witnessed widespread destruction on Sunday due to flash floods, triggered by a glacier burst.

According to official state figures, 32 bodies have been recovered so far. The State Emergency Operation Centre had earlier confirmed that 175 people are still missing after February 7 disaster.

Since then, the rescue teams have recovered one dead body, while two others trapped inside a tunnel at the Tapovan power project in Chamoli have been traced alive. One of them is Rashid from Saharanpur and the other is Suraj Singh from Chamoli.

This now brings the missing person figure to 172 people. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar told news agency ANI that not much progress has been made in the rescue operation.

“We’ve recovered 32 bodies, 8 identified, 24 unknown. The rescue team also recovered 2 Uttarakhand Police personnel bodies. Can’t confirm exact number for missing and dead people but it’s between 192 and 204,” Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

More than 600 Army, ITBP, National Disaster Response Force, SDRF and Sashastra Seema Bal personnel are engaged in search-and-rescue efforts at the moment.