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.

Uttarakhand's 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 [inaudible].

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.