Frantic rescue efforts underway following Himalayan glacier disaster
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 9, 2021 2:48 PM EST
Local officials in northern India fear at least 150 people dead after a chunk of ice from the Nanda Devi Glacier broke off and triggered massive flooding on Feb. 7.
An enormous search and rescue effort continued Monday in northern India one day after a calamitous glacier collapse occurred in the Himalayan Mountains.
A piece of the Nanda Devi Glacier broke off on Sunday, allowing floodwaters to spill down the mountainside and into a valley. The wall of water destroyed one hydroelectric dam and damaged another before surging downstream.
At least 31 people have been killed by the flood, and officials fear the death toll could rise.
More than 2,000 members from the military and police groups joined the search and rescue efforts in India's northern state of Uttarakhand, the Associated Press reported Monday. The operation was focused on 37 workers trapped in a tunnel that filled with water and debris in the flood.
A general view during a flood in Uttarakhand state, Feb. 7, 2021, in this still grab obtained from a video. (SEE SCRIPT/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS.)
“The tunnel is filled with debris, which has come from the river. We are using machines to clear the way,” H. Gurung, a senior official of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police told the AP.
On Monday, 12 workers were pulled from a tunnel at the construction site of the Dhauliganga dam.
The death toll is expected to climb as officials continue to search for bodies at the two hydroelectric dams that were damaged as well as in the bodies of water downstream.
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After damaging two hydroelectric dams, floodwaters raced down the mountain, prompting evacuations of villages located along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers, according to the AP.
There are reports of damaged homes along the two rivers, but it is unclear if any residents are missing, dead or injured as officials continue to investigate.
Government officials airdropped food packets and medicine to at least two flood-hit villages, the AP reported.
According to Reuters, which cited an unnamed government official in India, many local villagers had been able to escape the imminent disaster as soon as they heard the loud rumble of water roaring down the mountain.
“The workers in the tunnel may not have heard anything and got stuck,” the official told Reuters.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was closely monitoring the situation shortly after being informed of the incident.
“India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there,” he said on Twitter. "I have been speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations," he added.
Lakshman Jhula, a suspension bridge across the River Ganges, is seen after it is closed as a precautionary measure in Rishikesh, India, after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo/Rishabh R. Jain)
Dry and tranquil weather conditions allowed rescue and recovery operations to continue without disruption on Monday. A passing shower cannot be completely ruled out on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, no major precipitation is anticipated.
AccuWeather meteorologists also warn that temperatures trending higher across northern India in the coming days could cause some snow to melt along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, which can cause rivers to rise and lead to flash flooding.
Just two days before this disaster, a large avalanche occurred on the glacier, which added stress to the ice, an SDRF official told the Indian Express.
On Monday, a team was sent to the glacier to investigate the reason why a large piece broke off.
This stretch of the Himalayan Mountains in northern India is home to a chain of hydropower projects on several rivers and tributaries across the region. Authorities said they were able to save other power units downstream because of timely action taken to release water by opening gates, the AP reported.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Frantic rescue efforts underway following Himalayan glacier disaster
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 9, 2021 2:48 PM EST
Local officials in northern India fear at least 150 people dead after a chunk of ice from the Nanda Devi Glacier broke off and triggered massive flooding on Feb. 7.
An enormous search and rescue effort continued Monday in northern India one day after a calamitous glacier collapse occurred in the Himalayan Mountains.
A piece of the Nanda Devi Glacier broke off on Sunday, allowing floodwaters to spill down the mountainside and into a valley. The wall of water destroyed one hydroelectric dam and damaged another before surging downstream.
At least 31 people have been killed by the flood, and officials fear the death toll could rise.
More than 2,000 members from the military and police groups joined the search and rescue efforts in India's northern state of Uttarakhand, the Associated Press reported Monday. The operation was focused on 37 workers trapped in a tunnel that filled with water and debris in the flood.
A general view during a flood in Uttarakhand state, Feb. 7, 2021, in this still grab obtained from a video. (SEE SCRIPT/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS.)
“The tunnel is filled with debris, which has come from the river. We are using machines to clear the way,” H. Gurung, a senior official of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police told the AP.
On Monday, 12 workers were pulled from a tunnel at the construction site of the Dhauliganga dam.
The death toll is expected to climb as officials continue to search for bodies at the two hydroelectric dams that were damaged as well as in the bodies of water downstream.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
After damaging two hydroelectric dams, floodwaters raced down the mountain, prompting evacuations of villages located along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers, according to the AP.
There are reports of damaged homes along the two rivers, but it is unclear if any residents are missing, dead or injured as officials continue to investigate.
Government officials airdropped food packets and medicine to at least two flood-hit villages, the AP reported.
According to Reuters, which cited an unnamed government official in India, many local villagers had been able to escape the imminent disaster as soon as they heard the loud rumble of water roaring down the mountain.
“The workers in the tunnel may not have heard anything and got stuck,” the official told Reuters.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was closely monitoring the situation shortly after being informed of the incident.
“India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there,” he said on Twitter. "I have been speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations," he added.
Lakshman Jhula, a suspension bridge across the River Ganges, is seen after it is closed as a precautionary measure in Rishikesh, India, after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo/Rishabh R. Jain)
Dry and tranquil weather conditions allowed rescue and recovery operations to continue without disruption on Monday. A passing shower cannot be completely ruled out on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, no major precipitation is anticipated.
AccuWeather meteorologists also warn that temperatures trending higher across northern India in the coming days could cause some snow to melt along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, which can cause rivers to rise and lead to flash flooding.
Related:
Just two days before this disaster, a large avalanche occurred on the glacier, which added stress to the ice, an SDRF official told the Indian Express.
On Monday, a team was sent to the glacier to investigate the reason why a large piece broke off.
This stretch of the Himalayan Mountains in northern India is home to a chain of hydropower projects on several rivers and tributaries across the region. Authorities said they were able to save other power units downstream because of timely action taken to release water by opening gates, the AP reported.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo