Uttarakhand: Two found alive, 204 still missing as rescue operations continue at Tapovan; death toll 36

12-02-2021

36 bodies have been recovered even as 204 people are still missing in the Uttarakhand glacier disaster, the state government said on Friday. In what could mean a ray of hope for the rescue agencies, two persons have been found alive, so far, Chamoli District Magistrate Swati Bhadoriya said. The rescue agencies began drilling through the debris in Tapovan tunnel to reach to 30 people who are believed to be trapped inside. The operation was stalled after the Dhuliganga river began swelling again. The agencies are now making a fresh attempt to establish a 'life-saving system', by means of oxygen at the 'head-race tunnel', which is a network of tunnels. While the main tunnel, where the rescue operations are underway is a 1.5 km long stretch, the other tunnels are further below and it is believed that more people could be trapped in these areas. "A drilling operation was started by the rescue teams at 2 am to peep into the slush-flushing tunnel that is about 12-13 metres below," Vivek Kumar Pandey, the spokesperson for the lead rescue agency, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) told news agency PTI. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Army have established a multi-agency rescue team to carry out the search and rescue operation in the district. On Thursday, before the operation was halted due to the rising water levels, the agencies had cleared the debris of up to 120 metres and it is believed that workers are trapped at a depth of about 180 metres, where the tunnel takes a turn, news agency PTI reported. The agencies have, however, refrained from elaborating upon the condition of those trapped inside. "I am a technical person. I wouldn't hazard a guess. But as the Governor said, let's all pray to Badri Vishal (Lord Vishnu) that all of them are safe," ITBP chief S S Deswal had told the news agency earlier this week.