India on February 7 scrambled to deploy its various forces in search, salvage & rescue operations in Uttarakhand which is facing a major disaster following a glacier burst in Chamoli district. While 14 bodies have been found, over 170 persons were said to be missing.
National & state disaster response teams have been deployed, as have teams from the ITBP. The Army has sent six columns & the Navy seven diving teams. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, \"India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone\'s safety.” 170 people - 148 employed at the NTPC plant & 22 at Rishiganga, are still missing.
A clip shows ITBP personnel slowly pulling out a man from the tunnel, just a couple of meters wide, using a rope amid chants of \"zor laga ke haisha\". All 12 workers have been rescued from the tunnel, said the local administration. Around thirty others are trapped in a second tunnel, reportedly around 2.5 km long & rescue teams worked through the night to save them.
The Army has also deployed choppers to support the government\'s operations. Many villages were evacuated as floods swept away five bridges, damaged homes & the nearby NTPC power plant. A small hydropower project near Rishiganga was also washed away.
