Nine dead and dozens missing as Himalayan glacier bursts in India

  • Video report by ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie

At least nine people were killed and as many as 140 people were missing in India’s Uttarakhand state after a Himalayan glacier broke and crashed into a dam early on Sunday, with floods forcing the evacuation of villages downstream.

These workers were at the Rishiganga power project.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was closely monitoring the situation.

“India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone’s safety there,” he said on Twitter after speaking with the state chief minister.

Officials said the glacier breaking sent water trapped behind it as well as mud and other debris surging down the mountain and into other bodies of water.

An advisory was issued urging people living on the banks of the Alaknanda River to move to safer places immediately.

Officials have ordered Emergency evacuation of thousands from the surrounding areas after the floods damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

The flooding due to cloudburst or breaching of a reservoir has destroyed many river bankside houses. Hundreds of rescue personnel have rushed for the rescue of feared casualties.

Piyoosh Rautela, executive director of the Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, says the exact cause of the incident is being investigated.

He says that glacier debris blocked the water from river Ganga, leading to the formation of a lake, which broke earlier in the day.