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REPORTER: We start with the latest on our[br]breaking news, India fearing dozens

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of people are dead after part of a [br]Himalayan glacier collapsed.

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It has sent a torrent of water rushing[br]down a river where a hydroelectric

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power station and several villages are[br]positioned.

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Several communities have been put[br]on high alert for flooding, and people

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are being evacuated further downstream.

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We have a look at it on the map, we're[br]talking very Northern parts of India here,

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up through close to the[br]Himalayas, obviously.

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This is Rishiganga, which is one of the[br]rivers which have been affected.

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And as the map swings around you'll get[br]an idea, first of all, of the proximity of

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the Himalayas there from where the[br]glacier has broken off,

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and then as you come down the Rishiganga[br]River, we find, uh, one smaller dam there,

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and then further down a large[br]hydroelectric project further downstream

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in one of the other rivers, I've just lost[br]it at the moment-- no, there it is.

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Uh, coming down here as well, the[br]Tapovan Mandir.

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So, a lot of villagers and, as we said, [br]two big hydroelectric projects are in

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the path of all of that water.

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Elizabeth Puranam is our correspondent[br]in New Delhi, she's on the line just now.

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What more are you hearing this hour, Liz?

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ELIZABETH: Hello Kamal, so, what we are[br]hearing is that this glacial burst in the

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state of Uttarakhand's Chamoli[br]district has triggered the avalanche

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of massive flooding along the [br]Alaknanda and Dhauliganga Rivers.

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Um, it's forced the emergency evacuation[br]of thousands of people from surrounding

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areas, damaged homes, and, um, the[br]nearby Rishiganga powerplant.

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A local official has told Indian media[br]that 100 to 150 people may have been

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killed in the flash floods.

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Um, border patrol officials have[br]also told Indian media that they fear

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there will be casualties because some[br]waterbodies flooded and destroyed many

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homes on the riverbank, and we can see[br]pictures of a massive flood, a torrent

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of water and debris moving through the[br]Dhauliganga River.

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Uttarakhand's disaster response force[br]has said that more than 150 laborers

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working at the Rishiganga power project,[br]which was hit by floods, are missing.

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Representatives of the power project told[br]disaster response that they're not able to

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contact those workmen at the project[br]site, and the authorities are also worried

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about the safety.

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There are a number of ongoing road and[br]rail projects in the area and authorities

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are worried about the safety of, um, [br]the laborers who are working

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on those projects.

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REPORTER: Any word, I know it's early days[br]Liz, but any word on rescue efforts?

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This is a remote part of India, getting[br]there must be pretty difficult.

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ELIZABETH: Yes, and they're very much[br]under way.

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the state leader Pushkar Dhami tweeted[br]that the district administration police

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department disaster management has been[br]ordered to deal with the disaster.

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Um, we know that hundreds of Indo-Tibetan[br]border police personnel have been rushed

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to carry out rescue operations.

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Another government minister has said [br]that as well as the, um, hundreds of

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Indian-Tibetan border police, national[br]disaster response force teams are

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being rushed from this [unintelligible].

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More are being deployed by Indian air[br]force, helicopter.

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And an alert has also been sounded for[br]all downstream, uh, districts from Chamoli

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including the city- major cities of[br]Rishikesh and Haridwar.

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The people there have been warned [br]against visiting riverbanks.

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Um, the worlds largest gathering, a[br]Hindu festival called Kumbh Mela

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has actually been taking place in Hardiwar[br]over the past few weeks, this is where

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people bathe in the Ganges River [br]during the festival, and so authorities

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will be dealing with more people than[br]normal in and around Hardiwar

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at this time.

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REPORTER: Elizabeth Puranam with the[br]latest on this news coming out of

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Northern India where a glacier has[br]broken off the Himalayas,

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water rushing down through those valleys[br]in the region.

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Thank you, Liz.