At least 140 people are missing and nine were killed in India after a portion of the glacier shattered in the Himalayas on Sunday, sending heavy flooding to nearby hydroelectric power plants.
Part of the Nanda Devi Glacier broke on Sunday morning, distributing a flood of water trapped in other bodies of water in northern Uttarakhand, The Associated Press reported.
Rescue crews, including more than 2,000 military, paramilitary and police members, were deployed to try to rescue those caught in the disaster that experts attributed to climate change and warming temperatures.
Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the Indo-Tibetan Paramilitary Border Police, said the wave of water and debris wiped out the Alaknanda River hydropower plant and damaged a plant being built on the Dhauliganga River, according to the AP.
He said at least 42 workers were stranded in tunnels at the Dhauliganga plant, of which 12 were rescued.
“Rescuers used ropes and shovels to reach the mouth of the tunnel. They dug through the debris and entered the tunnel. They will not yet get in touch with the blocked people, “said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand’s elected official, according to the AP.
The floods evacuated several villages along both rivers, and Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman, said it damaged homes without releasing information about whether the residents were injured, missing or killed.
Earlier on Sunday, Chief Secretary Om Prakash said between 100 and 150 people were feared dead, Reuters reported..
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he was “constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation.”
“India is with Uttarakhand and the nation is praying for the safety of all there,” he posted.
I am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India is with Uttarakhand and the nation is praying for the safety of all there. We talked continuously with the higher authorities and received updates on the deployment of the NDRF, rescue works and relief operations.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2021
The state has been frequently hit by flash floods and landslides, including a June 2013 monsoon that killed thousands. Experts have warned about plants and projects in the area due to environmental risks.