Two bodies have been recovered from the tunnel at flood-ravaged Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project in Uttarakhand, Chamoli District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria said on Sunday. Almost 30 missing labourers are believed trapped inside the tunnel, when a glacier burst triggered quite possibly what was one of the worst floods in Alaknanda river system. The labourers were working when the waters came rushing in.
Multi-agency operations are continuing in the area. Teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinated the rescue efforts.
Rescuers said they were still hopeful of finding survivors, notwithstanding the numerous challenges like the muck and the water from Dhauli Ganga constantly flowing into the tunnels. The river had deviated from its path after the flash floods that have left 38 people dead and 166 missing.
So far, 20 bodies and 12 human limbs have been cremated after DNA sampling, the DM said. A compensation of Rs 4 lakh each was also paid to the kin of five victims of the calamity from Dehradun, Bageshwar and Haridwar districts of Uttarakhand and Lakhimpur Kheri and Aligarh districts of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
In a statement, Relief Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Sanjay Goyal said, "As of February 13, five persons from the state have died in the glacier burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, while 64 persons are still missing. A total of 23 persons from the state have been found alive."
