Nepal saddened by Uttarakhand glacier burst; offers deep condolences to bereaved families

Nepal has offered deep condolences to the victims of flash floods caused by glacier burst in Uttarakhand on Sunday and prayed for the safety of those missing in the disaster as rescue operations continue in India's northern state. 

"We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash flood caused by an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for the safety of those missing," the Foreign Ministry of Nepal said in a tweet. 

A glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flash flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday morning. The Rishiganga Power Project was damaged in the flash floods. A deluge in the Alaknanda river system washed away hydroelectric stations, trapping more than 100 labourers, who are feared dead.

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The state government sounded a red alert in the region and began evacuating people from the affected areas. The Indian Army has deployed choppers and troops to support the Uttarakhand government in tackling the flood. Four Army columns, two Medical teams, and one Engineering Task Force were deployed at Reni village in the Tapovan area of Chamoli. Army helicopters are on an aerial recce and a 30-bed hospital were also been kept ready at Joshimath for dealing with the emergency.

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CM Rawat, PM Modi announce ex-gratia

Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat informed that 176 labourers had gone for their duty in mainly 2 tunnels in the affected regions. Out of those, 30-35 labourers working in the Rishiganga project are said to be trapped inside while 16 workers trapped in the tunnel near Tapovan in Chamoli have been rescued by the ITBP jawans. In all, over 100 people are said to be missing. 

The CM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased while the PMO has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin. Reportedly, 8 lives have been claimed in the incident, as of now. 

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