Seven bodies were recovered and at least 125 people went missing following a massive flood in the Rishi Ganga river caused by a glacier burst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said here on Sunday.
The Uttarakhand CM said two power projects nearly 13 MW Rishi Ganga Hydel Project and a 480 MW NTPC hydel project over the Dhauli Ganga river at Tapovan were extensively damaged.
Seven bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Tapovan and the search for the rest is under way, Rawat said here on returning from affected areas.
Rawat said at least 125 people, including two policemen, are missing and the number may go up as the authorities of the damaged hydel projects are not in a position to give a precise figure.
All efforts are focused to pull out those feared trapped inside the tunnels clogged by 35-40 feet of debris, Rawat said.
The ITBP, SDRF and NDRF personnel have penetrated up to 150 metres into a 250-metre-long tunnel but they have not been able to contact any of the trapped employees, he said.
The chief minister announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the avalanche, terming it as a massive disaster.
One motorable road and four suspension bridges connecting villages in the area with the district headquarters have also been washed away.
Arrangements have been made to continue uninterrupted supplies of essentials to these villages, Rawat said.
The Chamoli district magistrate and the SP are camping at the site, the chief minister said.