Death toll from glacier rupture in northern India rises to 26
Xinhua News Agency, New Delhi, February 8 (Reporter Hu Xiaoming) The police chief of Uttarakhand in northern India, Ashok Kumar, said on the 8th that the death toll from the local glacier has risen to 26.
Kumar said on social media that as of 20 o'clock on the 8th local time, rescuers have found the remains of 26 victims from the disaster site. There are still 171 people missing, dozens of them are trapped in the tunnel.
According to the local disaster management department, 27 people have been rescued.
According to reports, a joint rescue team composed of national and local disaster relief and emergency forces, police, and army is working overnight to search and rescue people trapped in the tunnel.
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Lawat held a meeting on the same day to coordinate rescue work and decided to allocate 200 million rupees (approximately US$2.74 million) from the disaster relief emergency fund for this rescue operation.
A glacier ruptured in the Jamoli region of Uttarakhand, India on the morning of the 7th. The ruptured glacier plunged into the Tauliganga River and caused the river to burst and cause flooding.
The flood destroyed two hydropower stations and some houses on the banks of the river. About 150 workers and some local villagers were missing.