Uttarakhand glacier burst: Missing workers most probably from UP and Bihar

Chamoli, Feb 08: As more than 170 labourers are still missing after a glacier break in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district resulted in an avalanche and huge floods in the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday, state DGP Ashok Kumar, said the workers who are missing are most probably from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"I have been contacted in this regard that 30 of these people (missing) are from Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), said DGP.

Of 170, 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga, a spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge.

At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and at least 200 people are reported to be missing after the 'glacier break'.

Visiting the affected area on Monday, Union Minister RK Singh was quoted as saying, "We have been able to access up to about 70 metres inside the tunnel, we have to further move for about 180 metres. Communication has not been established yet."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the family of those killed. Rawat also said teams from the police, the Army and the ITBP, as well as from the national and state disaster response forces, were "doing their best to save the lives of the workers at sites affected by the disaster".