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At least nine people have died and 150 more are missing in northern India after part of a Himalayan glacier broke off, sending a flood of water and debris to two hydroelectric dams.
A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke in the Tapovan area of Uttarakhand state on Sunday, and subsequent flooding damaged the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga hydroelectric projects, authorities said.
At least 150 people working at the two power plants are now missing and feared dead, a state official said.
Local police said eight bodies had already been recovered.
Several teams of rescuers were taken to the affected area, authorities said. Photo: AP
Neighboring Uttar Pradesh state, India’s most populous, has put its riparian areas on high alert. Photo: AP
Witness Sanjay Singh Rana, who lives in the upper reaches of the river, told Reuters news agency: “It came very quickly, there was no time to alert anyone. I felt that even we would be swept away.”
Authorities said the glacier rupture released water trapped behind it and sent mud and other debris down the mountain and into other bodies of water.
Some houses were also damaged by the floods and an evacuation of the houses on the banks of the Alaknanda River was issued immediately.
Army soldiers have already been deployed and helicopters were conducting an aerial observation of the area. Photo: AP
Several teams of rescuers were taken to the affected area, authorities said.
“India supports Uttarakhand and the nation prays for the safety of everyone there,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.
There are a number of hydroelectric power plants along the Alaknanda River and its tributaries. Photo: AP
In 2013, more than 1,000 people died in Uttarakhand after heavy rains caused landslides and floods that washed away thousands of houses and roads.
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