March 19, 2024

Flash floods in India - at least 125 people lost after a glacier collapses in the Himalayas - news

Flash floods in India – at least 125 people lost after a glacier collapses in the Himalayas – news

  • In northern India, about 125 people have been lost after severe floods, and at least 15 people have been killed.
  • A huge glacier had previously cut the Himalayas and fell into a river.
  • The accident occurred in the area around Goshimath in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

According to SN Pradhan, Chief of India’s Civil Protection, five bridges have been bulldozed and two power plants and roads damaged. The entire glacier is moving downstream, which is why the low villages have already been warned and the evacuation has begun, Pradhan continues.

According to information from India, up to 125 people are currently missing. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said levels in the Rishjanja and Alakananda rivers continued to rise. The National Civil Protection said about 400 rescue soldiers would be deployed to remote mountains. Most of the dead and missing were employees of the electricity company. At least 30 workers are said to be trapped in a power plant tunnel. The rugged terrain, cold, mud and rubble in the tunnel pose a major challenge to rescue workers.

The search for the missing persons continues

The search will continue for another 24 to 48 hours. Rescuers focus on a 2.5-kilometer tunnel, where, according to police, 30-35 workers from hydroelectric plants are likely to be trapped. A police officer said that there is no voice communication with the victims yet. On Sunday, 12 people were rescued from another tunnel.

“India stands with the people of Uttarakhand and the nation is praying for the safety of everyone in this region,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

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There are always accidents in mountain landscapes. The torrential monsoon rains in 2013 killed more than 6,000 people.