Following the Himalayan glacier burst in the Uttarakhand state of India on Sunday, at least 14 people have been pronounced dead and more than 150 individuals are still missing.
The glacier fell down the Himalayan and avalanched down the mountains to the river, crashing into two hydroelectric projects and causing raging flash floods.
Based on the footage that showed the tragic event, water, rock, and dust barreled through a narrow ravine in the Chamoli district of the Himalayan state.
The rushing water and debris also swept through buildings, trees, people, and even carried with it parts of a dam. As a result, people who live down the river were encouraged to evacuate from their homes, CNN reported.
On Monday, Chamoli District Police announced that rescuers were able to save 15 people who were trapped inside a tunnel. The authorities also stated that rescuers have been working round the clock to help find survivors and recover the bodies of those who died.
Moreover, the police stated that rescue operations at the moment are focused on digging through a second tunnel which is blocked by debris.
Meanwhile, during a press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stated that the glacier burst triggered an avalanche which resulted in a blockage of debris at a state-owned NTPC hydro project.
In addition, Rawat referred to the incident as a "terrible disaster" and said that the state is still expecting significant damage to infrastructure and significant loss to human lives.
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Rescuers Work to Save Dozens Trapped in Tunnels
At the moment, the Associated Press reported that rescue efforts are still ongoing to save 37 workers from a power plant who were trapped in a tunnel after the Himalayan glacier burst.
Rescue efforts following the glacier burst are being led by the Indian Army alongside India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) members. More NDRF teams are expected to arrive in the area by Monday as they are being airlifted from New Delhi.
Based on the report, after the deadly flash flood on Sunday, more than 2,000 members of the police, military, and paramilitary groups have been involved in the search and rescue operations.
Moreover, officials said that they are also focusing on saving more than two dozens of workers who are stuck inside a tunnel in one of the hydropower plants that was affected by the Himalayan glacier burst.
It was also stated that the workers have been out of contact since the flood flash through the power plant.
According to authorities, they also fear the possibility that more people are dead. Search boats have been deployed in the river to search for bodies, and search teams also surveyed the banks of the river with binoculars in search of bodies that could have been washed away, The Hindustan Times reported.
Climate Change
Meanwhile, many people have already pointed to climate change as a major contributing factor to the Himalayan glacier burst. But it was noted that there are also other cause possible causes of the glacier burst such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and water pressure build-up.
Indian School of Business, research director and adjunct professor Anjal Prakash, who also contributed to the United Nations' research on global warming said that the Himalayan glacier burst looked like a climate change event due to global warming melting glaciers in the world.
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