LIVE: Uttarakhand glacier burst leaves 7 dead, 125 missing; rescue ops on

9:53 PM

Bodies are being recovered far away from the incident site: IG NDRF

9:44 PM

Rishikesh-Joshimath-Mana road reopened after road clearance

9:43 PM

Akhara Parishad to refrain from any demands for Kumbh Mela in Haridwar after glacier burst

The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) has decided it will not keep any demands before the Uttarakhand government during the upcoming Kumbh Mela at Haridwar regarding arrangements during the festival after glacier burst in the neighbouring state triggering floods on Sunday.
 

A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead.

9:35 PM

Two teams of glaciologists will head to Joshimath-Tapovan to study causes behind flood in Chamoli

Two teams of glaciologists will head to Joshimath-Tapovan on Monday to study the causes of massive flood caused after a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said.

Kalachand Sain said two teams of glaciologists - one with two members and other with three members - will leave Dehradun on Monday morning.

The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), studies various aspects of the Himalayas, including the glaciers and seismic activities in the region.

9:18 PM

Uttarakhand glacier burst: Maharashtra guv expresses grief, shock

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed shock and grief on the devastation caused in Uttarakhand where a glacier broke off at Joshimath in Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to a massive flood.

 

In a message, Koshyari said he was "extremely distressed and disturbed to know about the disaster caused by glacier burst in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and "saddened to know about the loss of life".

 

"I pray for the safe release and rescue of people trapped and convey my deepest condolences to the next of those who lost their lives," he said in the condolence message.

 

Koshyari has served as the second chief minister of Uttarakhand between 2001-02.

9:17 PM

Uttarakhand glacier burst: Haryana CM prays for well-being of people

Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar prayed for the well-being of the people after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system.

Khattar said Haryana stands with the people of Uttarakhand in this hour of tragedy and crisis.

In a statement issued here, the Chief Minister said relief and rescue operation is going on in the affected area. 

8:51 PM

Around 200MW power supply to national grid cut from major plants due to Avalanche

Around 200 MW of power supply to the national grid was affected due to avalanche in Uttarakhand as local administration shut down two plants, Tehri and Koteshwar, as a precautionary measure.

The hydro power plants in the affected area are mostly under-construction or fall in small hydro project category which are of up to 25MW. These small hydro projects are mainly state owned.

Earlier in the day, a glacier broke off in Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district which caused a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and endangered lives of people living along its banks.

8:46 PM

Dhauli Ganga river's water level at Joshimath breached all records after glacial burst: CEC official

The water level of the Dhauli Ganga river at Joshimath flowed at a perilously high level, breaching all records, Central Water Commission officials said after a part of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district leading to massive floods.

The glacial burst triggered an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and trapped more than 100 labourers who are feared dead. The intensity of the river's flow in a short span of time was such that it engulfed whatever came in its way.

This was a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013 which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.

8:22 PM

Rishiganga hydro project washed away by glacier burst in Uttarakhand

A 13.2 MW small hydro project on the Rishiganga river was swept away in the glacier burst in Uttarakhand on Sunday, but there is no danger of floods in the downstream areas as the water level has been contained.

 

This was conveyed to the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, at an emergency meeting held here on Sunday evening.

 

The NCMC was also informed thatpeople trapped in a hydro project tunnel were rescued by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), whileefforts are on to rescue those trapped in another tunnel. The operation is being coordinated by the Army and the ITBP, an official spokesperson said.

8:13 PM

'Nayi zindagi mili': ITBP rescues workers stuck in flash-flood hit tunnel

Covered in mud, several men were safely pulled out one after the other from a slush-covered tunnel by ITBP personnel in the Tapovan power project area that was swept away by a flash flood triggered by a glacier break in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday.

In a video of the operation shared by the border force, the rescuers can be seen raising slogans of 'dum lagakey haisha' while retrieving a couple of men through the vertical and narrow snout of the tunnel with the help of a rope line.

Those present at the spot motivated the men in action with 'bahut badhiya' and 'shabaash', jo 'bole so nihaal' and 'jai ho' slogans.

One of the workers rescued from the tunnel was seen taking a euphoric leap as the ITBP personnel patted his back in recognition of the grit and endurance displayed by him despite being hit by a disaster and being swamped with mud.

8:04 PM

Govt stands shoulder to shoulder with people hit by glacier burst: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the government stands shoulder to shoulder with people affected by the glacier burst and floods in Uttarakhand on Sunday.

"I have been watching the visuals from Chamoli district about damage caused by Glacier burst. In this difficult time, we stand shoulder to shoulder with people affected by the tragedy. Praying for well-being of the people of Uttarakhand," said Rajnath Singh.

7:53 PM

Chamoli glacier burst: Devprayag, lowland areas out of danger now, says Uttarakhand DGP

Devprayag in Tehri Garhwal district and the lowland area in Uttarakhand are out of danger of flash flood following glacier burst in Chamoli district, said Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar on Monday.

Taking to Twitter, Kumar said, "The river flow from Srinagar is now normal. It is no longer a threat to the people of Devprayag and the lowland areas."

The relief rescue by police is underway, he added.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) SN Pradhan said that several teams were airlifted to the incident site

At least nine bodies have been recovered near the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) site in the Tapovan area on February 7, said Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General, S S Deswal.

7:47 PM

PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased in Uttarakhand's glacier burst incident

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic avalanche caused by a glacier breach in Chamoli, Uttrakhand.

The Prime Minister also announced Rs 50,000 from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the people who were seriously injured.

6:51 PM

2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

As a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, a study published in 2019 had warned that Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century due to climate change.

The glacier collapse at Joshimath on Sunday led to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas.

The 2019 study, spanning 40 years of satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, indicates that climate change is eating the Himalayas' glaciers, the researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances in June 2019, shows that glaciers have been losing the equivalent of more than a vertical foot and half of ice each year since 2000 -- double the amount of melting that took place from 1975 to 2000.

6:49 PM

State government to give financial assistance of Rs 4 lakhs each to the kin of the deceased: Uttarakhand CM

State government to give financial assistance of Rs 4 lakhs each to the kin of the deceased: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat.