Nearly 100 construction workers were reported missing after a flash flood, reportedly caused by the splintering of a glacier, hit the site of the Rishi Ganga dam on the Rishi Ganga River in Uttarakhand on Sunday. A PTI report put the number of workers missing at 150.
“Fifty to a 100 workers are missing,” the Uttarakhand Director-General of Police Ashok Kumar told The Hindu. More information on the fate of the workers is awaited.
One National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Dehradun and one from Ghaziabad have been sent for rescue operations while three more teams are being air lifted from Ghaziabad to join the rescue operations.
Orders have been issued to the districts on the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh to be put on high alert after reports of the breaking of a part of Nandadevi Glacier in neighbouring Uttarakhand, a senior U.P. official said on Sunday. If required, people need to be evacuated and taken to safe places, the district magistrates were instructed.
Navneet Sehgal, UP additional chief secretary information, said that a disaster alert had been sent to all DMs.”The districts on the Ganga River need to be on high alert and continuous monitoring of water level need to be done 24×7,” Mr. Sehgal said quoting the state relief commissioner.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister T.S. Rawat tweeted that the flow of the Alaknanda River ahead of Nandaprayag had stabilised. “The River is flowing one metre above the danger level but the flow is reducing,” he said.
Here are the live updates:
3.10 pm
Sixteen persons stuck at the Tapovan dam site in Chamoli district have been rescued by the Uttarakhand police, DGP of the State Ashok Kumar says in a tweet. Claims that the flow of water in Shrinagar (Garhwal) is now normal.
– Amit Baruah
3 pm
Uttarakhand CM tweets:
“A disaster was reported at Raini village at around 1045 am, affecting two dam sites in Chamoli. Immediate instructions were issued to take stock of the situation and take emergency measures. Simultaneously, state’s disaster response mechanism was activated.”
“A disaster was reported at Raini village at around 1045 am, affecting two dam sites in Chamoli. Immediate instructions were issued to take stock of the situation and take emergency measures. Simultaneously, state’s disaster response mechanism was activated.”
“State Chief Secretary, disaster management department and my own team is at the control centre and monitoring the situation on real time basis and they have been instructed to take all appropriate actions necessary to deal with the emerging situation.”
“Currently no additional water flows are being reported & there is no flood situation anywhere. Water from the affected site has reached beyond Nandprayag and river was flowing 1 meter above normal levels. No loss has been reported from villages along Alaknanda. “
“Anyone requiring help can contact following emergency numbers –
1070, 1905 and 9557444486. I thank state’s population in the affected regions for their cooperation and request everyone to maintain calm & not share unverified information on various platforms.”
“Police, SDRF, Army & ITBP teams are already doing their best to save lives of the workers at both the construction sites, affected by the disaster. Two bodies have already been recovered & we are doing our best to lessen the damage caused by the disaster.”
“We are getting all help from centre Govt to deal with situation caused by the disaster. Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji is personally monitoring the situation & have promised all help. Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji have sent emergency NDRF teams to affected site.”
3 pm
To provide assistance in the flash floods in Uttarakhand, four Army columns of about 400 soldiers, two medical teams, one engineering task force have been deployed at Reni village. Army helicopters are also carrying aerial reconnaissance.
A defence official said, C-130 and AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are being used to airlift NDRF personnel from Ghaziabad to Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun.
– Dinakar Peri
2.30 pm
An eyewitness said he saw a wall of dust, rock and water as an avalanche roared down a river valley.
“It came very fast, there was no time to alert anyone,” Sanjay Singh Rana, who lives on the upper reaches of Raini village, told Reuters by phone. “I felt that even we would be swept away.”
Footage shared by locals showed the water washing away parts of the dam as well as whatever else was in its path.
– Reuters
2.20 pm
“People are requested not to panic. Help reach your people to safe destination,” says Uttarakhand Police in a tweet quoting DGP Ashok Kumar.
– Vijaita Singh
2 pm
A tweet from the Prime Minister’s Office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation in Uttarakhand. “He took stock of the rescue and relief works that were going on.”
– Amit Baruah
1.50 pm
Uttarakhand Chief Minister T.S. Rawat tweeted that the flow of the Alaknanda River ahead of Nandaprayag had stabilised. “The River is flowing one metre above the danger level but the flow is reducing,” he said.
– Amit Baruah
1.45 pm
MHA is monitoring the situation, a spokesperson said.
– Vijaita Singh
1.40 pm
One NDRF team from Dehradun, one from Ghaziabad sent for rescue operations, three more teams being air lifted from Ghaziabad.
1.35 pm
Home Minister Amit Shah tweets that he spoke to the CM of Uttarakhand and the DGPs of ITBP and NDRF. All teams working on a war-footing. NDRF teams also rushed for rescue work.
– Vijaita Singh
1.35 pm
1.30 pm
Uttarakhand police tweeted: “Flood advisory- Water level at Srinagar [in Uttarakhand] may rise to 536.00 m at 16:00 hrs. At Rishikesh the water Level may rise to 340.50 m at 20:00 hrs and Haridwar the Water Level May Reach 294.00 m at 21:00 hrs. (The Danger level will cross at Srinagar, Rishikesh and Haridwar)”
– Amit Baruah
1.10 pm
Uttarakhand CM announces helpline numbers – 1070 and 9557444486 – for those affected , repeats not to spread panic through old videos.
– Vijaita Singh
1.00 pm
DGP, Uttarakhand, Ashok Kumar told The Hindu that 50-100 are missing. Those reported missing were working at the hydel power site.
– Vijaita Singh
1.00 pm
Chamoli police (in Uttarakhand) tweets that people in the Tapovan-Reni area have been informed that on account of a glacier breaking off the Rishiganga hydel power project has been damaged. On account of this, the level of the river is rising on account of which people living along the Alaknanda river are advised to move to safer areas.
– Amit Baruah
12.50 pm
ITBP said casualties feared as massive flood in Dhauli Ganga, Joshimath seen near Reni village, 26 km from Joshimath, where a water body flooded and destroyed many houses along the river bank due to some cloudburst or breaching of reservoir at around 10 a.m. Hundreds of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) men rushed for rescue, said the ITBP spokesperson.
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has tweeted that he is on way to the flood site and requests people not to spread panic by sharing old videos.
– Vijaita Singh
12.40 pm
Orders have been issued to the districts on the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh to be put on high alert after reports of the breaking of a part of Nandadevi Glacier in neighbouring Uttarakhand, a senior official said on Sunday. If required, people need to be evacuated and taken to safe places, the District Magistrates were instructed.
Navneet Sehgal, U.P. Additional Chief Secretary, Information, said that a disaster alert had been sent to all DMs.
“The districts on the Ganga River need to be on high alert and continuous monitoring of water level need to be done 24×7,” Mr. Sehgal said quoting the State Relief Commisioner.
The NDRF, SDRF and PAC Flood Company are being given instructions to be on highest alert, the Relief Commisioner said.
– Omar Rashid
