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31 of 58 bodies recovered in Chamoli disaster identified: SDRF

Chamoli disaster

Chamoli disaster

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Published : Feb 16, 2021, 8:13 AM IST

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Updated : Feb 16, 2021, 10:10 PM IST

21:27 February 16

Control room members in Jharkhand tremble on getting distress calls from relatives

Members of the control room set up to provide help to people of Jharkhand trapped in Chamoli glacier burst tremble each time they receive a call from distressed families.

Every time they have to deal with a pain-stricken voice on the phone. People are desperate to know whether their loved ones are still alive. A team of five counsellors are continuously providing them mental and emotional support.

"This is a painful situation. Family members and other relatives of missing persons have been continuously calling and asking about them. Our counsellors are handling them in the right manner. Still we can't express their grief. It is really not easy to handle this, but we have to," said Shikha Pankaj, control room in-charge.

"Fourteen people are still missing. Labour Superintendents of Ramgharh and Lohardaga have gone to Chamoli with the family members of missing persons. We have received photographs of some bodies which can't be identified. To identify them, DNA test is going on," she further added.

18:23 February 16

Rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel halted

Rescue work at the tunnel in Tapovan was suspended temporarily on Tuesday following rising in the water level in Rishiganga river. Around 31 of 58 bodies recovered from the tunnel for over ten days since the glacier burst.

17:38 February 16

31 of 58 bodies recovered in Uttarakhand glacier burst identified

Deputy Inspector General of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Ridhima Aggarwal

All 11 bodies retrieved from Tapovan tunnel till now have been identified, informed Deputy Inspector General of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Ridhima Aggarwal on Tuesday.

"31 of 58 bodies recovered so far have been identified. All 11 bodies retrieved from Tapovan tunnel till now have been identified," Aggarwal told ANI.

"Teams of SDRF and NDRF along with dog squads are conducting searches in Raini village, Tapovan, and nearby areas," she added.

According to the Uttarakhand Police, the death toll in the glacier burst in Chamoli has gone up to 58 as a total of 11 bodies are recovered from the Tapovan tunnel, whereas 146 people are still missing.

Meanwhile, the Chamoli District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria inspected the rescue operations that are underway in Chamoli.

Later, Bhadoria also met the families and relatives of the deceased and missing people in the glacier burst.

Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj had earlier said that the state government will create a department to investigate the cause of the glacier burst incident in Chamoli and monitoring of the glaciers through satellite.

"All angles (related to the Chamoli glacier burst) should be investigated. We will form a department in our ministry to monitor and study all the glaciers through satellite," Satpal said.

"We are concerned over the way glaciers are melting and the tidal wave created in the mountains. The plutonium pack that was kept to monitor China's movement should also be investigated," he added.

A glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand last week led to massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

15:34 February 16

SDRF keeping eye on lake formation over Rishiganga: Official

The SDRF on Tuesday said it is keeping a strict vigil around the Rishiganga river due to the formation of a lake five-six km above it after the recent glacial disaster in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, despite the water body posing no immediate threat.

Satellite pictures have recently confirmed the formation of the lake at a height of 14,000 feet in the catchment area of the Rishiganga, after which a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was despatched to the location to check the facts.

The team found that water is seeping from the lake in a natural way, reducing the chances of an outburst that can cause a fresh flood downstream.

Still, the SDRF has deployed its men from the lake up to Raini and Tapovan to maintain a constant vigil, commandant of the force Navneet Bhullar, who led the team to the lake, said.

Besides, sensors have also been installed in the area under the early warning system to keep an eye on the flow of water in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers.

An eye is also being kept on the lake through satellites, Bhullar said.

On February 7, a flash flood triggered by a glacier burst in Chamoli killed a large number of people, besides demolishing a 13.2-mw hydel project in the Rishiganga, and caused extensive damage to the 520-mw Dhauliganga hydel project of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

12:48 February 16

We are concerned about how glaciers are melting creating a tidal wave in the mountains. The plutonium pack that was kept to monitor China’s movement is no longer there. We request the government to investigate the pack too: Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj

10:55 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force conducting search and rescue operation.

10:55 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Rescue operation continues in Joshimath.

10:47 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway at Tapovan tunnel in Joshimath of Chamoli district.

08:50 February 16

11 bodies recovered

11 bodies recovered

A total of 11 bodies recovered from Tapovan tunnel in Joshimath of Chamoli district so far; 58 bodies in total. 146 more bodies yet to be found.

07:53 February 16

All angles related to the Chamoli glacier burst should be investigated. We will form a department so that we can monitor and study all the glaciers through satellite: Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj.

06:29 February 16

Rescue operation continues in Joshimath

Chamoli: Rescue operation continues in Joshimath. It has been ten days since the Joshimath disaster.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force and other sister agencies have been conducting search and rescue operation in Chamoli district.

The Project Director of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) hydropower project, Ujjwal Bhattacharya had earlier said, "We have progressed up to 135 metres inside the Tapovan tunnel. Bodies are being recovered with caution so as to return them to their family members."

Uttarakhand Disaster Response Force has put an alarm system to detect the rise in the level of water and alert about it, in Raini village of Chamoli district.

A glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand last week led to massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

(ANI)

21:27 February 16

Control room members in Jharkhand tremble on getting distress calls from relatives

Members of the control room set up to provide help to people of Jharkhand trapped in Chamoli glacier burst tremble each time they receive a call from distressed families.

Every time they have to deal with a pain-stricken voice on the phone. People are desperate to know whether their loved ones are still alive. A team of five counsellors are continuously providing them mental and emotional support.

"This is a painful situation. Family members and other relatives of missing persons have been continuously calling and asking about them. Our counsellors are handling them in the right manner. Still we can't express their grief. It is really not easy to handle this, but we have to," said Shikha Pankaj, control room in-charge.

"Fourteen people are still missing. Labour Superintendents of Ramgharh and Lohardaga have gone to Chamoli with the family members of missing persons. We have received photographs of some bodies which can't be identified. To identify them, DNA test is going on," she further added.

18:23 February 16

Rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel halted

Rescue work at the tunnel in Tapovan was suspended temporarily on Tuesday following rising in the water level in Rishiganga river. Around 31 of 58 bodies recovered from the tunnel for over ten days since the glacier burst.

17:38 February 16

31 of 58 bodies recovered in Uttarakhand glacier burst identified

Deputy Inspector General of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Ridhima Aggarwal

All 11 bodies retrieved from Tapovan tunnel till now have been identified, informed Deputy Inspector General of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) Ridhima Aggarwal on Tuesday.

"31 of 58 bodies recovered so far have been identified. All 11 bodies retrieved from Tapovan tunnel till now have been identified," Aggarwal told ANI.

"Teams of SDRF and NDRF along with dog squads are conducting searches in Raini village, Tapovan, and nearby areas," she added.

According to the Uttarakhand Police, the death toll in the glacier burst in Chamoli has gone up to 58 as a total of 11 bodies are recovered from the Tapovan tunnel, whereas 146 people are still missing.

Meanwhile, the Chamoli District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria inspected the rescue operations that are underway in Chamoli.

Later, Bhadoria also met the families and relatives of the deceased and missing people in the glacier burst.

Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj had earlier said that the state government will create a department to investigate the cause of the glacier burst incident in Chamoli and monitoring of the glaciers through satellite.

"All angles (related to the Chamoli glacier burst) should be investigated. We will form a department in our ministry to monitor and study all the glaciers through satellite," Satpal said.

"We are concerned over the way glaciers are melting and the tidal wave created in the mountains. The plutonium pack that was kept to monitor China's movement should also be investigated," he added.

A glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand last week led to massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

15:34 February 16

SDRF keeping eye on lake formation over Rishiganga: Official

The SDRF on Tuesday said it is keeping a strict vigil around the Rishiganga river due to the formation of a lake five-six km above it after the recent glacial disaster in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, despite the water body posing no immediate threat.

Satellite pictures have recently confirmed the formation of the lake at a height of 14,000 feet in the catchment area of the Rishiganga, after which a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was despatched to the location to check the facts.

The team found that water is seeping from the lake in a natural way, reducing the chances of an outburst that can cause a fresh flood downstream.

Still, the SDRF has deployed its men from the lake up to Raini and Tapovan to maintain a constant vigil, commandant of the force Navneet Bhullar, who led the team to the lake, said.

Besides, sensors have also been installed in the area under the early warning system to keep an eye on the flow of water in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers.

An eye is also being kept on the lake through satellites, Bhullar said.

On February 7, a flash flood triggered by a glacier burst in Chamoli killed a large number of people, besides demolishing a 13.2-mw hydel project in the Rishiganga, and caused extensive damage to the 520-mw Dhauliganga hydel project of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

12:48 February 16

We are concerned about how glaciers are melting creating a tidal wave in the mountains. The plutonium pack that was kept to monitor China’s movement is no longer there. We request the government to investigate the pack too: Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj

10:55 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force conducting search and rescue operation.

10:55 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Rescue operation continues in Joshimath.

10:47 February 16

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway

Search and rescue operation underway at Tapovan tunnel in Joshimath of Chamoli district.

08:50 February 16

11 bodies recovered

11 bodies recovered

A total of 11 bodies recovered from Tapovan tunnel in Joshimath of Chamoli district so far; 58 bodies in total. 146 more bodies yet to be found.

07:53 February 16

All angles related to the Chamoli glacier burst should be investigated. We will form a department so that we can monitor and study all the glaciers through satellite: Uttarakhand Irrigation Minister Satpal Maharaj.

06:29 February 16

Rescue operation continues in Joshimath

Chamoli: Rescue operation continues in Joshimath. It has been ten days since the Joshimath disaster.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force and other sister agencies have been conducting search and rescue operation in Chamoli district.

The Project Director of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) hydropower project, Ujjwal Bhattacharya had earlier said, "We have progressed up to 135 metres inside the Tapovan tunnel. Bodies are being recovered with caution so as to return them to their family members."

Uttarakhand Disaster Response Force has put an alarm system to detect the rise in the level of water and alert about it, in Raini village of Chamoli district.

A glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand last week led to massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

(ANI)

Last Updated : Feb 16, 2021, 10:10 PM IST

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