China News Service, February 9th. According to Indian media reports, with the speeding up of rescue operations, officials in the Indian state of Uttarakhand stated on the 8th that as of now, the glacier break in the area has caused 26 deaths and as many as 171. People are missing.
Officials also worry that the death toll will rise.
The missing persons included people working on hydropower projects and villagers whose houses were washed away nearby.
According to the report, officials said that the rescue operation was concentrated near a 1,900-meter-long tunnel where at least 35 people were trapped.
The barrage at the project site was washed away by floods, and the water level rose to 70 feet, causing gravel to block the 20-foot-wide tunnel opening.
On February 8, local time, after the Indian glacier broke, the rescue team searched and rescued overnight.
According to reports, the death toll from the local glacier rupture has risen to 26.
A relevant police officer said: “Unless the victims are drowned in mud a few hundred meters in front of the tunnel, they are likely to still be alive deep in the tunnel. Because this is a very long tunnel, there may be enough oxygen in it. Once we find a path through the mud, we will inject oxygen into the tunnel through a pipe."
On the other hand, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Rawat said that a comprehensive analysis of the incident is being conducted to avoid future tragedies. He has instructed the Chief Secretary to find out the cause of the accident.
The top priority is to provide food and other assistance to those affected.
He decided to allocate 200 million rupees 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.