'Like a scene from a Bollywood film' - eyewitness, after Himalayan glacier breaks in India

Record ID: 1599881

  • Title: 'Like a scene from a Bollywood film' - eyewitness, after Himalayan glacier breaks in India
  • Date: 7th February 2021
  • Summary: CHAMOLI, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA (FEBRUARY 7, 2021) (REUTERS) RIVER BURSTING THROUGH VALLEY DESTROYING STRUCTURES VARIOUS OF DEBRIS ON ROAD AND MUDDY RIVER VIEW OF RIVER AND ROAD BLOCKED WITH DEBRIS VIEW OF DAMAGED STRUCTURE, DEBRIS, AND WASHED AWAY ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) EYEWITNESS AND RESIDENT OF CHAK LATA VILLAGE IN CHAMOLI DISTRICT, PURAN SINGH RANA, SAYING: "I was looking up and down and I could not see anything, but five minutes later, I witnessed something that looked like a scene from a Bollywood film. But, I have never seen anything like what I saw at the Rishi Ganga Power Corporation Limited (plant), about 50 to 100 people were running for their lives but could not be saved and they were engulfed by the river." MORE OF DAMAGED STRUCTURE, DEBRIS, AND WASHED AWAY ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) EYEWITNESS AND RESIDENT OF CHAK LATA VILLAGE IN CHAMOLI DISTRICT, PURAN SINGH RANA, SAYING: "The situation here is still dangerous. People are leaving their homes and are fleeing towards the forest. They are taking their belongings, including their quilts and mattresses. There are no arrangements for us from the government, so far. Only the local authorities have got us quilts, mattresses, rations and water and they have made us settle near the forest as the disaster could strike again. Locals from neighbouring villages of Peng and Morana have said that they are suspicious that the dam near them could also collapse." PEOPLE SEEN FROM DISTANCE NEAR PILE OF DEBRIS ON ROAD
  • Embargoed: 21st February 2021 13:49
  • Keywords: Chamoli Gori Ganga Himalaya India Uttarakhand accident avalanche dam disaster glacier global warming power plant
  • Location: CHAMOLI, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
  • City: CHAMOLI, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Disaster/Accidents,Floods
  • Reuters ID: LVA001DYN7BD3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Around 125 people were missing in northern India after a Himalayan glacier broke and swept away a small hydroelectric dam on Sunday (February 7), with floods forcing the evacuation of villages downstream.
    A wall of dust, rock and water hit as an avalanche roared down the Rishiganga valley deep in the mountains of Uttarakhand, a witness told Reuters by phone.
    Another eyewitness and resident of Chak Lata village in Chamoli district described the disaster as like watching "a scene from a Bollywood film".
    Puran Singh Rana said he witnessed some 50 to 100 people "running for their lives but could not be saved" as the rush of water swept down. Singh Rana said the situation was "still dangerous" in the region and that "people are fleeing towards the forest" with their belongings, including quilts and mattresses. He added that there were "no arrangements" yet in place from the government.
    "Locals from neighbouring villages of Peng and Morana have said that they are suspicious that the dam near them could also collapse," said Rana Singh.
    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said 125 people were missing but the number could rise. So far, the bodies of seven people had been recovered.
    Earlier state chief secretary Om Prakash said 100 to 150 people were feared dead. A large number of the missing were workers at the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydroelectric Project which was destroyed by the bursting of the glacier.
    State utility NTPC said the avalanche had damaged a part of its Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant that was under construction further down the river. It gave no details but said the situation is being monitored continuously.
    The neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous, put its riverside areas on high alert.
    The disaster took place around 500 km (310 miles) north of New Delhi.
    Uttarakhand is prone to flash floods and landslides and the disaster prompted calls by environment groups for a review of power projects in the ecologically sensitive mountains.
    (Production: Kataria Sunil, Lisa Giles-Keddie)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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