At least 140 people are missing and nine have died in India after a section of a glacier broke in the Himalayas on Sunday, sending powerful floods to nearby hydroelectric plants.
A portion of the Nanda Devi Glacier snapped off Sunday morning and spread a flood of trapped water into other bodies of water in the northern state of Uttarakhand. Associated Press reported.
Rescue teams, including more than 2,000 military members, paramilitary members and police, have been deployed to try and rescue those trapped by the disaster that experts attributed to climate change and the hot temperature.
Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the Indian Tibetan border police, said the flooding of water and debris had wiped out the Alaknanda River hydroelectric plant and damaged a plant being built along the Dhauliganga River.
He said at least 42 workers were trapped in tunnels in the Dhauliganga plant, and 12 of them were rescued.
‘The rescuers used ropes and shovels to reach the mouth of the tunnel. They dug through the rubble and entered the tunnel. They still have to get in touch with the stranded people, “said Prime Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand’s chief elected official, according to the AP.
The floods have led to the evacuation of several villages along both rivers, and Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman, said it had damaged homes without revealing whether residents were injured, missing or killed.
Earlier on Sunday, Om Prakash, chief secretary, said there were fears of 100 to 150 people being killed, Reuters reported.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, said on Twitter that he was “constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation.”
“India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there,” he posted.
I keep an eye on the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there. Constantly talked to senior authorities and received notifications about NDRF implementation, rescue work and relief efforts.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 7 February 2021
The state was regularly hit with flash floods and landslides, including a monsoon in June 2013 that killed thousands of people. Experts have warned about plants and projects in the area due to the environmental risks.