7 killed, 170 missing in Uttarakhand avalanche

At least seven people were killed and 170 were missing after a glacial break in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flooding of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on January 7, forcing the evacuation of thousands, and damaging both houses and the nearby Rishiganga and NTPC power projects.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced Rs.4 lakh compensation for the family of those killed. Mr Rawat also said teams from the police, the Army and the ITBP, as well as from the national and state disaster response forces, were “doing their best to save the lives of the workers at sites affected by the disaster”.

A total of 170 people, 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga, were still missing. Twelve people trapped in an under-construction tunnel have been rescued by an ITBP team. Around thirty others are trapped in a second tunnel, reportedly around 2.5 km long.

Mr. Rawat said seven bodies had been found at a construction site. Mr Rawat who visited Chamoli district earlier in the day, said rescue teams were “doing their best to save the lives of the workers”. He also said a team of scientific experts would work to establish the exact cause of the disaster at a later stage.

Prime Minister Modi tweeted to say he had spoken to Mr Rawat, and said: “Am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation… India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there.” Home Minister Amit Shah also tweeted; he said the Modi government stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Uttarakhand.