Uttarakhand governor faces ire of kin of those trapped inside Tapovan tunnel
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Last Updated: Feb 11, 2021, 03:56 PM IST
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Synopsis
The families waiting for over four days to be reunited with their closed ones broke down before the governor, seeking her intervention to expedite the rescue operations at the tunnel, where 25-35 people are trapped since the Sunday avalanche in Uttarakhand s Chamoli district.
AFP
Bulldozers work to remove mud and debris outside the entrance of Tapovan tunnel during rescue efforts in Chamoli district.
TAPOVAN (U KHAND): Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya had to face the ire of the families of those trapped inside a tunnel at Tapovan, when she visited the site to take stock of the rescue work.
A resilient future for Uttarakhand
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Updated:
February 12, 2021 01:24 IST
The need of the hour is to invest in long-term crisis response mechanisms and resilience solutions
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A vehicle stuck in the swamp at the site of the Tapovan hydel project as rescue work is under way.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The need of the hour is to invest in long-term crisis response mechanisms and resilience solutions
Days after a glacier burst in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand caused flash floods, the scientific community is still struggling to understand what triggered the disaster. At the time of writing this article, the death toll was 34 with more than 170 people missing. The floods have also caused heavy damage to public and private infrastructure, including the NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project and the Rishiganga mini hydro project. The incident was reminiscent of the 2013 disaster in Uttarakhand which killed thousands.
Rescue personnel adjust ropes during rescue operation after a glacier burst, in this still frame taken from video dated February 7, 2021, in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. (Reuters)
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Director-General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar on Thursday informed that DNA samples of the bodies recovered after the glacier burst incident in Chamoli district are being preserved by the state officials. We are preserving DNA samples of the recovered bodies. Out of total dead bodies recovered, we have so far identified 10 bodies. All our officers including DIG Law and Order, SP Rudraprayag they taking care of the identities of the dead bodies using Whatsapp. Last rites will only be performed after preserving the DNA of the bodies, DGP Uttarakhand told ANI.
Chamoli Glacier Burst: Workers have been clearing rocks and mud from the tunnel since Sunday s disaster.
Highlights
Only 34 bodies have been recovered so far
Glaciers have been melting rapidly in the state because of global warming
Rescuers began drilling from above a debris-filled tunnel on Thursday in a desperate bid to reach dozens of people missing since a flash flood likely caused by a breaking glacier four days earlier.
Workers have toiled night and day clearing rocks and mud from the tunnel at a damaged hydroelectric plant at Tapovan in Uttarakhand since Sunday s disaster.
More than 170 people are missing elsewhere in the Himalayan state, slightly smaller than Switzerland, after the disaster. Because of the amount of debris, only 34 bodies have been recovered so far.