No less than 150 people are reported missing while at least nine lifeless bodies were found after the collapse on Sunday (February 7) of a piece of the Himalayan glacier in northern India, according to the
Reuters
agency
.
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The collapse reportedly resulted in the destruction of a hydroelectric dam, causing extensive flooding and the forced evacuation of villages downstream.
"The actual number of missing has not yet been confirmed,"
but 100 to 150 people are believed to have been killed, Om Prakash, chief secretary of the state of Uttarakhand where the incident occurred, told Reuters .
An avalanche would be at the origin of the collapse.
Snow and ice fed the Dhauliganga river then the Alaknanda which quickly overflowed and carried everything in its path.
Images from a Reuters partner agency show the river's level rising and its course overflowing, washing away part of the dam.
The outcome of the drama could quickly be revised upwards because there is great uncertainty about the number of potential victims.
More than a hundred workers working at a power plant may have died, while the nine bodies found are those of people working there, according to Reuters.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was monitoring the situation closely.
"India is supporting Uttarakhand and the nation is praying for the safety of everyone there
," he said on Twitter, after speaking with the state's chief minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat.
A rescue team works at the flood site in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India on February 7, 2021. REUTERS TV / REUTERS
The Indian Air Force for its part has indicated that it is ready to join the rescue operations, according to the federal government, while the Minister of the Interior, Amit Shah, said teams of disaster response were airlifted to assist with relief and rescue operations.
Army soldiers have already been deployed and its helicopters were conducting aerial reconnaissance of the area.