Joshimath, Uttarakhand – On Sunday morning, Rishi Prasad, 57, ran as quick as he might to save lots of his son however he might attain the tunnel the place his son was, large boulders, timber and dust had already blocked its entrance.
Abhishek Panth, 24, was working in an under-construction tunnel close to Tapovan Dam, on the confluence of Dhauliganga and Rishiganga Rivers – in Chamoli district about 280km (173 miles) east of Dehradun, capital of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
The tunnel is a part of the multimillion-dollar, 520-megawatt Tapovan hydroelectric undertaking, one of many two dam initiatives destroyed on Sunday by a lethal flash flood triggered by a Himalayan glacial burst, which has claimed 26 lives to date whereas almost 170 others are lacking.
Panth is amongst 39 folks nonetheless trapped contained in the 2km (1.24-mile) lengthy tunnel, Aparna Kumar of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which is part of the rescue operations, advised Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
The distraught father, who noticed his son depart their house shortly earlier than the catastrophe, couldn’t maintain again his tears. His spouse has not spoken since; she lies on a mattress with family sitting round her, hoping these trapped contained in the tunnel are alive.
“I don’t know whether or not my son is alive or lifeless,” Prasad advised Al Jazeera. “It’s been greater than 50 hours now, however the administration has not been in a position to clear the tunnel.”
Lots of of rescue staff, together with Indian military personnel, are scouring muck-filled ravines and valleys, on the lookout for survivors at a number of websites, together with the tunnel.
The sounds of choppers and navy helicopters making rounds to help the rescue efforts fill the air.
Balvir Singh Rawat, 32, who runs a store in Tapovan village, advised Al Jazeera that at about 10:30am (05:00 GMT) on Sunday, he heard a loud bang.
“We thought the entire mountain had damaged down,” he stated.
“After 5 minutes, we seemed on the river. There was no water however huge boulders, timber and dust transferring and its degree solely rising and rising. We had not seen such a scene in our lives.”
Darshan Singh, 58, who runs a tea stall in the identical village, provides: “We thought that is our finish.”
Singh, who lives within the neighbouring village of Bangool on the opposite aspect of the Dhauliganga river, is trapped in Topavan because the bridge over the river has been washed away.
“I don’t know for what number of days I should keep in Topavan however I’m glad that my members of the family are protected,” he stated.
ITBP’s Kumar stated 13 villages are minimize off after the flood washed away their bridges.
Narendra Lal, 46, labored as a mason on the dam for the previous 5 years. His physique was fished out from the river on Sunday night time.
Lal is survived by his aged mom, spouse and 4 kids; he was the household’s solely breadwinner.
On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of villagers assembled at his modest home on a hill in Topavan to demand that the household be given not solely a one-time compensation introduced by the federal government but in addition a month-to-month fund to run the family.
Lal’s neighbour Mohan Bajwal requested why he was engaged on a Sunday when most places of work have been shut for the weekly vacation.
“Had the corporate not saved its workplace open on Sunday, so many individuals would have been alive in the present day,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Ram Kishan misplaced his spouse Sarojni Devi and daughter Anjana Semwal, 18, after they have been swept away whereas slicing grass close to the river on Sunday. Their our bodies have nonetheless not been discovered.
The 52-year-old blamed the hydroelectric initiatives for the glacier breaking. He advised Al Jazeera that the blasting undertaken for the development had broken his home and has now taken away two members of his household.
“We’re poor folks and may’t struggle these huge firms however I would like this undertaking to be closed as soon as and for all. This isn’t for our betterment. That is our destruction” he stated.
Kishan’s youthful daughter Sanjana, 16, advised Al Jazeera that she desires to see her mom and sister and for them to have a correct funeral.
“My solely enchantment to the federal government is to search out my mom and sister.”
The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is susceptible to flash floods and landslides. Sunday’s catastrophe has prompted calls by environmental teams for a overview of energy initiatives within the ecologically delicate mountains.
“As a way to assemble these hydropower initiatives, dams and roads, large blasting was carried out in these mountains and that is what we see now,” stated Om Prakash, 39, an area from Topavan.
Prakash advised Al Jazeera the native residents had protested towards the initiatives after they have been introduced. “However no one listened to us. Now, right here is the consequence,” he stated.
“Our fears are actually turning right into a actuality.”