Uttarakhand: 'Preserving DNA samples of dead bodies for identification,' says DGP Kumar

With the death toll from the Uttarakhand disaster mounting, state DGP Ashok Kumar on Thursday revealed that the police was preserving DNA samples from the recovered bodies in hopes of ascertaining their identities. Out of the 34 dead bodies recovered from under the debris, only 10 had been identified so far.

Moreover, DGP Kumar also revealed that rescue forces had begun drilling a small diameter inside the 2.5 km long Tapovan tunnel in hopes to see what was inside. This operation, however, had been temporarily suspended after the machine broke down. 

"We were undertaking rescue operation in the big tunnel to remove debris till yesterday. We have also started drilling in a smaller diameter tunnel to see what is inside. But it has been suspended temporarily as the machine broke down. We are preserving DNA samples of the recovered bodies. Of 34 dead bodies recovered, 10 have been identified so far," said Ashok Kumar, DGP Uttarakhand. 

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Rescue operations continue 

Five teams of the NDRF, eight teams of the Indian Army, 450 jawans of ITBP, a Navy team and five helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been engaged in search and rescue operations in the affected areas in Uttarakhand. A separate team is working on the evacuation of the Tapovan tunnel where approximately 25-35 persons are suspected to be trapped. Meanwhile, at least 175 people are missing since the glacier burst resulted in a massive landslide and subsequent flash floods. 

Currently, the state had deployed all its attention to rescue those stuck inside the drying tunnel, in a race against time. Officials of the teams have stated that drilling through the debris is becoming increasingly difficult with the silt inside the tunnel drying up and getting harder. 

Rescue teams have so far managed to progress 80 metres inside the tunnel, pushing through tonnes of heavy debris for at least another 100 metres to reach those who are suspected to be trapped inside. However, operations have been temporarily halted in the Chamoli district due to a rise in the water-levels of the Rishiganga river.

Read: Uttarakhand Disaster: AAP MP Sanjay Singh Gives Zero Hour Notice In Rajya Sabha

Read: Dalai Lama Expresses Grief Over Uttarakhand Glacier Disaster; Makes Donation From His Fund

(With Agency Inputs)