Uttarakhand glacier burst: Sixteen labourers rescued from tunnel

DEHRADUN: Sixteen workers were rescued on Sunday from a tunnel of Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project after they were trapped there due to flash floods triggered by a glacial burst in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, officials said. Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force and other agencies were carrying out rescue operations on a war footing, they said.

"Sixteen labourers have been rescued from the tunnel," an official said.

A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off at Joshimath on Sunday, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and bringing back memories of the 2013 deluge in the hill state.

Over 150 labourers working at a power project in Tapovan-Reni, which was swept away completely, were feared dead, an Indo Tibetan Border Police spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge.

In June 2013, a multi-day cloudburst centered on Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides. According to the state government, more than 5,700 people were presumed dead in the disaster.

As bridges and roads were destroyed more than three lakh people were trapped in the valleys leading to the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.