The death toll from the Uttarakhand glacier disaster rose to 31 and over 175 people remained missing. Nanda Devi glacier burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli District has led to a large scale devastation.
The missing people include those working at NTPC’s 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away.
Rescue operations are still going on to rescue people stuck in the tunnels.
The State Emergency Operation Centre said five bodies were found in the morning, taking the death toll to 31, and estimated that 175 people are still missing.
Teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinated and rescued about 30 people who were working in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project when the waters came rushing in.
These teams are ready with dragon light sets, oxygen cylinders and stretchers to provide immediate medical help to those trapped inside.
Relief is also being distributed by helicopters among villagers cut off due to the washing away of a bridge in the avalanche at Malari.