At least 140 people are missing and nine died in India after part of a glacier broke in the Himalayas on Sunday, causing severe flooding at nearby hydroelectric plants.
Part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke on Sunday morning, releasing a flood of water trapped in other bodies of water in the northern Uttarakhand state, The Associated Press reported.
Rescuers, including more than 2,000 military, paramilitary and police personnel, were mobilized to try to save people trapped in the disaster that experts attributed to climate change and warming.
Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary police on the Indo-Tibetan border, said the wave of water and debris swept through the hydroelectric plant on the Alaknanda River and damaged a plant that was being built on the Dhauliganga River, according to the AP.
He said at least 42 workers were trapped in the tunnels at the Dhauliganga factory, with 12 of them being rescued.
“Rescuers used ropes and shovels to reach the mouth of the tunnel. They dug into the rubble and entered the tunnel. They have not yet come into contact with the lost people, ”said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, the elected chief of Uttarakhand, according to the AP.
The flood led to the evacuation of several villages along both rivers, and Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman, said he damaged houses without disclosing information on whether residents were injured, missing or killed.
On Sunday, Chief Secretary Om Prakash said 100 to 150 people were dead, Reuters reported.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he is “constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation”.
“India is with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for the safety of everyone there,” he posted.
I am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand. India is with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for the safety of everyone there. I have been talking continuously with senior officials and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2021
The state has often been hit by floods and landslides, including a June 2013 monsoon that killed thousands. Experts warned of factories and projects in the area due to environmental risks.