Dehradun: The state government said on Monday evening that a total of 197 people were missing after the disaster and 26 bodies have been recovered. In the 197 missing people, all those people who are trapped inside the tunnel are also included. However, the confusion still persisted on how many people have been rescued so far. A statement of the state disaster control centre said 27 people have been rescued so far. However, top police officials maintained that only 12 were rescued.
Rescue and relief work in the disaster hit areas of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand gathered pace on Monday as a multi-agency operation continued to save 25-35 trapped people inside a tunnel of Tapovan Vishnugaud project that was blocked by the Sunday morning deluge.
Union Power Minister R.K. Singh said special equipment would be used to speed up the rescue operation inside the tunnel. However, there is still no contact with the trapped people inside.
Jawans of army, ITBP, NDRF and SDRF with rescue-equipments entered the tunnel with sniffer dogs in what is seen as the biggest rescue operation in the hill state since the 2013 Kedarnath disaster in which more than 5,000 people were killed.
DGP Ashok Kumar said rescue workers were using bulldozers, JCB and other machines in their operation. "The Vishnugaud tunnel is very difficult to enter as there is a curve inside. But we are confident that our brave forces will try their best to rescue the trapped people," said Kumar.
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had stated that nearly 176 people were working in the two hydel projects - 13.2 MW Rishiganga and 480 Mw Tapovan-Vishnugaud when the disaster struck on Sunday morning. He again rushed to the disaster site this evening to oversee the relief and rescue works.
All those who were rescued last evening were rushed to ITBP hospital in Joshimath where the two people who had suffered bone fractures were taken to a government hospital in Gopeshwar, the district headquarters of Chamoli.
Meanwhile, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh on Monday visited Tapovan, the site where NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugaud project is being built. Singh visited the disaster areas to take stock of the situation. He was accompanied by top state government officials including state Power Secretary Radhika Jha. "We will not scrap the Tapovan Vishnugaud hydel project," Singh told reporters when asked to comment on the future of NTPC's project.
Over 30 Workers From UP's Lakhimpur Kheri Missing
Over 30 people from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri who worked at a hydro project in Uttarakhand's Tapovan are missing after flash floods triggered by the breaking off a glacier caused extensive damage there.
The missing people belong to Nighasan tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri district.
The glacier burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district had triggered an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations on Sunday.
The report of them going missing surfaced when some of the rescued workers contacted their family members and informed them about the tragedy.
According to the kin of those missing, at least 34 people from various villages -- 15 from Ichhanagar; eight from Bhairampur; four from Babupurwa; three of Tikonia; and one each from Bhulanpur, Kadiya, Singahi and Mirjapur -- are missing.
Nighasan Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Om Prakash Gupta had said on Sunday that the administration was not in a position to confirm the number of missing people till communication with the Uttarakhand government.
On Monday, Lakhimpur Kheri DM Shailendra Kumar Singh, along with SP Vijay Dhull, met family members of those missing.
The DM assured them of all aid and assistance.
Meanwhile, the office of the relief commissioner in Lucknow said that it has started a state-level emergency operation centre to enable family members of the missing persons to speak to them.
People can register information about their missing family members on helpline 1070 and on WhatsApp number 9454411036.
Later, a statement by the information office of Lakhimpur Kheri district said the district magistrate and the superintendent of police visited Babupurva, Bhairampur, Ichhanagar and other villages, and met family members of the missing people.
They said, that the administration was working on identifying such persons who have been unable to contact their family members, and making a list.
The relief commission officials of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are being informed about it and more information about them is being gathered, the officers said.
Both the officials spoke to labourers in Chamoli with whom contact could be established and enquired about their well being, according to an official statement.
(With PTI Inputs)