The Rishiganga power project in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand was damaged by the floods. Those living along the Alaknanda River are urged to flee to safety but remain calm.
State Prime Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said 140 people were missing at the state-owned power company, NTPC, while 17 were not declared at the Rishiganga project.
“Two bodies have already been recovered,” Rawat tweeted. At least 600 military personnel and Indo-Tibetan border police personnel assisted rescue operations, he said.
Earlier on Sunday, Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams had been sent to deal with the disaster.
Local police said they had rescued 16 people trapped in the nearby Tapovandam. “A disaster was reported around 10:45 (12:15 ET) in the town of Raini that affected two dam sites in Chamoli,” Rawat said. He urged people not to spread rumors using old videos of floods.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a message of support following the disaster. “I’m watching the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand,” he tweeted.
“India stands with Uttarakhand and the country prays for everyone’s safety there. Constantly spoke to senior authorities and updated on the implementation of NDRF, rescue work and emergency relief.”