REPORTER: We start with the latest on our breaking news, India fearing dozens
of people are dead after part of a Himalayan glacier collapsed.
It has sent a torrent of water rushing down a river where a hydroelectric
power station and several villages are positioned.
Several communities have been put on high alert for flooding, and people
are being evacuated further downstream.
We have a look at it on the map, we're talking very Northern parts of India here,
up through close to the Himalayas, obviously.
This is Rishiganga, which is one of the rivers which have been affected.
And as the map swings around you'll get an idea, first of all, of the proximity of
the Himalayas there from where the glacier has broken off,
and then as you come down the Rishiganga River, we find, uh, one smaller dam there,
and then further down a large hydroelectric project further downstream
in one of the other rivers, I've just lost it at the moment-- no, there it is.
Uh, coming down here as well, the Tapovan Mandir.
So, a lot of villagers and, as we said, two big hydroelectric projects are in
the path of all of that water.
Elizabeth Puranam is our correspondent in New Delhi, she's on the line just now.
What more are you hearing this hour, Liz?
ELIZABETH: Hello Kamal, so, what we are hearing is that this glacial burst in the
state of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has triggered the avalanche
of massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga Rivers.
Um, it's forced the emergency evacuation of thousands of people from surrounding
areas, damaged homes, and, um, the nearby Rishiganga powerplant.
A local official has told Indian media that 100 to 150 people may have been
killed in the flash floods.
Um, border patrol officials have also told Indian media that they fear
there will be casualties because some waterbodies flooded and destroyed many
homes on the riverbank, and we can see pictures of a massive flood, a torrent
of water and debris moving through the Dhauliganga River.
[unintelligible] disaster response force has said that more than 150 laborers
working at the Rishiganga power project, which was hit by floods, are missing.
Representatives of the power project told disaster response that they're not able to
contact those workmen at the project site, and the authorities are also worried
about the safety.
There are a number of ongoing road and rail projects in the area and authorities
are worried about the safety of, um, the laborers who are working
on those projects.
REPORTER: Any word, I know it's early days Liz, but any word on rescue efforts?
This is a remote part of India, getting there must be pretty difficult.
ELIZABETH: Yes, and they're very much under way.
the state leader Pushkar Dhami tweeted that the district administration police
department disaster management has been ordered to deal with the disaster.
Um, we know that hundreds of Indo-Tibetan border police personnel have been rushed
to carry out rescue operations.
Another government minister has said that as well as the, um, hundreds of
Indian-Tibetan border police, national disaster response force teams are
being rushed from this [unintelligible].
More are being deployed by Indian air force, helicopter.
And an alert has also been sounded for all downstream, uh, districts from Chamoli
including the city- major cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar.
The people there have been warned against visiting riverbanks.
Um, the worlds largest gathering, a Hindu festival called Kumbh Mela
has actually been taking place in Hardiwar over the past few weeks, this is where
people bathe in the Ganges River during the festival, and so authorities
will be dealing with more people than normal in and around Hardiwar
at this time.
REPORTER: Elizabeth Puranam with the latest on this news coming out of
Northern India where a glacier has broken off the Himalayas,
water rushing down through those valleys in the region.
Thank you, Liz.