Uttarakhand disaster: Nearly 50 people out of 153 missing from NTPC site still stuck in two and a half km long tunnel, there were 191 workers here at the time of the accident

Posted on 8th Feb 2021 by rohit kumar

In Chamoli, Uttarakhand, the focus is on Rescue Mission on Monday for the second day after the incident on Sunday. On Sunday, the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers were in spate after the glacier broke and fell into the lake. Big stones also grew at a great speed with water. This caused the most damage to the private company's Rishiganga power project and NTPC project site located in the Tapovan area. People were stranded in two tunnels at NTPC. On Sunday, 16 people were rescued from the first tunnel.

 

Rescue operation is now underway in another tunnel of about two and a half kilometers long. 40 to 50 laborers are feared trapped here. NDRF DG SN Pradhan said that 191 people were present at this place. Of these, 27 have survived and 11 have been found dead. 153 are missing and some of these workers are feared to be trapped in the tunnel.

 

The rescue operation was stopped after the water surged on Sunday night in this two and a half kilometer long tunnel. The NDRF team resumed operations after the water level receded on Monday morning. Debris has been removed from 100 meters of this tunnel.

 

CM Rawat gave a shocking statement on the second day of the disaster

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat informed that debris is being removed from the tunnel. There is also mud there. With the help of ropes, ITBP personnel have reached the tunnel's mouth. He said that removing debris from this tunnel is a very difficult challenge. He told that Dhauliganga and Rishiganga meet. Due to this, debris has frozen at 3 points on Dhauliganga.

 

While giving information about the accident, Rawat also made a shocking statement. He said that till yesterday, that is till Sunday, he did not know about the Rishiganga project in Rani.

 

Chamoli incident: Updates for the second day…

 

NDRF said that there is debris and silt deposited in the tunnel and it is very difficult to remove it.

 

In the tunnel of 30 people in Tapovan, 300 ITBP jawans are engaged in rescue.

 

Mi-17 and ALH helicopters of the Air Force flew from Dehradun to Joshimath on Monday morning. Started Ariel Rescue and Relief Mission.

 

Teams of NDRF and ITBP are conducting rescue operations at different places in the Tapovan area. ITBP spokesman Vivek Pandey said more teams would be sent if needed.

 

Late Sunday, the water level of the rivers had increased again

 

The water level of the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers rose again late on Sunday night. The Chamoli district administration then alerted the people living on the edges. The Air Force will airlift scientists today for an aerial survey of the affected areas. Two teams of glaciologists also left for Tapovan on Monday to investigate the causes of the flood.

 

When the disaster of Uttarakhand came, how it came and how much damage happened, understand in 3 points…

 

1. Water level rises in Rishiganga and Dhauliganga

In the Tapovan area of ​​Chamoli, the glacier broke into the Rishiganga at around 10:30 am. This increased the water level of the river. This river meets the Dhauliganga by going to Raini village, hence its water level also increased. The houses settled on the banks of the rivers were washed away. After this, the surrounding villages were evacuated.

 

2. Rishiganga and NTPC's project devastated

The Rishiganga Power Project is located in the village of Raini, on the banks of the Rishiganga River. This project has been destroyed. About 15-20 laborers are missing from here. It is here that the bridge built on the Joshimath Malaria Highway of the Border Road Organization was also broken. Here 6 shepherds and their cattle were swept away in the water. Rescue teams have reached here. Where the water of Rishiganga meets Dhauliganga, the water level also increased. Water entered the NTPC project. Due to this, two suspension bridges connecting the village were washed away. Approximately 150 laborers working in the NTPC project are feared dead.

 

3. Army and Airforce engaged in rescue

Apart from SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, the army has also sent 600 soldiers to Chamoli. Besides, the Air Force has sent three helicopters, including Mi-17 and Dhruv, on rescue missions. Air Force C-130 Super Hercules aircraft have arrived in Dehradun carrying relief material.

 

More than 4 thousand people lost their lives in the disaster of June 2013

The cloudburst on 16-17 June 2013 and the subsequent glacier shattering caused major havoc in Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Bageshwar, Almora, Pithoragarh districts. More than 4,400 people died or went missing in this disaster. Over 4,200 villages lost contact. In these, 991 local people died in different places. Over 11,091 cattle were swept away by floods or buried under debris.

 

1,309 hectares of villagers were washed away by the floods. The names of 2,141 houses were erased. More than 100 hotels were destroyed. As many as 9 national highways, 35 state highways and 2385 roads, 86 motor bridges, 172 major and minor bridges were washed away or damaged in the disaster.

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