New Delhi It is confirmed that nearly 30 people died on Monday and almost 200 people are still missing after a large part of a Himalayan glacier in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India collapsed and fell into a river, which ‘ caused an avalanche and a major avalanche that washed away dams, hydropower. plants and various bridges and roads.
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Most of the missing were presumably washed away from two hydroelectric power stations hit along the Dhauli Ganga River. About 150 people who worked on a large power plant under construction, and another 21 people from the Rishiganga plant further upstream, are missing.
The Rishaganga power station was in use when it was completely destroyed on Sunday by the wall of water released by the partial collapse of the Nanda Devi Glacier.
A furious rescue operation was underway to reach more than 30 people trapped in a 1.5-mile-long tunnel at one of the facilities, where mud and debris made the operation difficult.
“Some people in the tunnel are probably alive or half alive, we are trying to save them,” Ashok Kumar, director general of Uttarakhand police, told CBS News.
Kumar confirmed to CBS News that the bodies of 26 people had been recovered. He said rescue operations are likely to continue until at least Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of paramilitary soldiers and police were dispatched to help with the rescue operations. The video of the scene showed heavy construction equipment moving mud and military helicopters circling above teams on the ground. At least 25 people have been rescued since Monday afternoon local time, including one man who is seen as a tunnel covered in mud.
Authorities evacuated thousands of people from several villages near another river, Alaknanda, but authorities said Monday the flood threat was over. Food is being dropped through air to areas cut off by road when the floodwaters washed away bridges and roads.
“India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for the safety of all,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter. He said he was constantly monitoring the situation.
Climate change in a delicate region
Uttarakhand stands along the western Himalayan mountains and has seen several floods and landslides in the past. More than 6,000 people died, went missing or were presumed dead in 2013 when heavy rainfall caused massive flooding.
Environmentalists have long expressed concern about large dams being built on the rivers of the state, and they are striving for development on the floodplains.
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Experts were quick to say that the partial collapse of the glacier on Sunday could be linked to climate change.
“It looks a lot like a climate change, as the glaciers are melting due to global warming,” said Dr. Anjal Prakash, a lead researcher at the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said. He told CBS News that the impact of global warming on glaciers has been well documented and that a recent report shows that temperatures in the Himalayan region are rising.
“There is no doubt that global warming has led to global warming,” he said. Farooq Azam, a professor of glaciology and hydrology, said. Climate change-driven volatile weather patterns such as increased snowfall and rainfall [and] warmer winters have led to the melting point of much snow. ‘