New Delhi – Nearly 30 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 200 more missing on Monday after a huge piece of glacier in the Himalayas in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand broke and fell into a river, triggering an avalanche and a flood. massive washing of dams, hydroelectric power plants and several bridges and roads.
AP
Most of the missing were believed to have been washed away from two hit hydroelectric plants along the Dhauli Ganga River. About 150 people working at a large plant under construction, and another 21 at the upstream Rishiganga plant, were missing.
The Rishaganga plant was in operation when it was completely destroyed by the wall of water unleashed on Sunday by the partial collapse of the Nanda Devi glacier.
A frantic rescue operation took place 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 inside the tunnel are probably alive or half alive, we’re trying to save them,” Uttarakhand State Police Chief Ashok Kumar told CBS News.
Kumar confirmed to CBS News that the bodies of 26 people had been recovered. He said rescue operations were likely to continue at least until Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of paramilitary soldiers and police were dispatched to help with rescue operations. The video on the spot showed heavy construction equipment changing mud and military helicopters flying over ground teams. At least 25 people have been rescued since local time on Monday afternoon, including a man seen being pulled out of a mud-covered tunnel.
Authorities evacuated thousands of people from several villages near another affected river, Alaknanda, but authorities said Monday that the threat of flooding was over. The food was blown up on the areas that were interrupted by the road, due to the floods that washed away the bridges and roads.
“India is with Uttarakhand and the nation is praying 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
The state of Uttarakhand is located along the western Himalayas and has seen several flash floods and landslides in the past. More than 6,000 people were killed, missing or presumed dead in 2013, when heavy monsoon rains triggered massive floods.
Environmentalists have long expressed concern about the construction of large dams on the state’s rivers and have campaigned against development on its 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.
“This is very similar to a climate change event, as glaciers are melting due to global warming,” said Dr. Anjal Prakash, lead researcher at the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He told CBS News that the impact of global warming on glaciers has been well documented and that a recent report showed temperatures are rising in the Himalayas.
“There is no doubt that global warming has led to global warming,” said Dr. Farooq Azam, a professor of glaciology and hydrology. “Climate change caused by climate change, such as increasing snow and rainfall [and] warmer winters have led to a lot of snow. “