Chamoli glacier burst: Around 30 labourers from UP's Lakhimpur Kheri missing

Feb 08, 2021

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], February 8 : At least 30 labourers from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri are missing after a glacial break in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flooding of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday morning, said state Director General of Police Ashok Kumar on Monday.
"The workers who are missing are most probably from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. I have been contacted in this regard that 30 of these people (missing) are from Lakhimpur Kheri," Kumar told ANI.
Meanwhile, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist Dr LK Sinha on Monday said that a hanging glacier in Uttarakhand's Chamoli may have broken away from the main glacier which caused damage.
Sinha said that DRDO scientists are analysing the data to ascertain the cause of glacier burst.
"Our team did an aerial survey of the glacier where the incident took place in Chamoli. Prima facie, it looks that a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier and came down in the narrow valley," the DRDO scientist told ANI.
According to Chief Minister Office, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has conducted a review meeting on disaster relief operation following glacier burst in Chamoli and released Rs 20 crores from State Disaster Response Fund for relief and rescue operation.
A glacial broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.
So far, bodies of 24 people have been recovered from different places following the avalance, Uttarakhand Police said.