Meet 'Rambo' Of ITBP, Leading The Search And Rescue Operations In Uttarakhand Glacier Disaster
The ITBP shared several photos of their efforts on the disaster front. A Twitter user identified one of the offices involved in the mission as Asst. Cmd. Pankaj.
Nearly 200 people are still missing avalanche in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, more than two days after a glacier broke off into the river, resulting in a flash flood.
Some 500 personnel, from the NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and others are continuing their search for survivors on Tuesday.
The ITBP on Monday shared several photos of their efforts on the disaster front.
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¡ª ITBP (@ITBP_official) February 7, 2021
???? ???? ?? ?? ! #Himveers of ITBP chanting after rescuing 12 men safely from a tunnel near Tapovan, Joshimath after a devastating flood hit the area.#Dhauliganga #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/CdBgByVuFK
Some pictures of yesterday when ITBP officials started digging to find out the way to a tunnel near Tapovan, #Chamoli, Uttarakhand to rescue 12 persons trapped after the flash floods. Rescue mission to another tunnel also on.#Himveers pic.twitter.com/AhVKNX1ORP
¡ª ITBP (@ITBP_official) February 8, 2021
A Twitter user identified one of the offices involved in the mission as Asst. Cmd. Pankaj.
"We use to call Asst. Cmndt. Pankaj as Rambo during our training, he surely lived upto his reputation of being a "Hero" by saving numerous lives in Chamoli, Uttarakhand !! Proud of you buddy," a Twitter user, @Kenli22490149 wrote.
We use to call Asst. Cmndt. Pankaj as Rambo during our training, he surely lived upto his reputation of being a "Hero" by saving numerous lives in Chamoli, Uttarakhand !! Proud of you buddy!! pic.twitter.com/gNYETJfkKm
¡ª Kenli (@Kenli22490149) February 8, 2021
Death toll rises to 31
According to PTI, on Tuesday, the death toll from the glacier disaster rose to 31 with five more bodies being recovered.
Two of the bodies were recovered from the debris in Raini village, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials said, two days after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst its banks and triggered an avalanche and floods in the Alaknanda river system.
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¡ª Vivek Kumar Pandey / ????? ????? ??????? (@vivekitbp) February 9, 2021
A mother of a rescued becomes emotional explaining her feelings about life saving rescue by ITBP men from a tunnel on 7 Feb 2021. All 12 rescued have now been discharged from the 1st Battalion ITBP Hospital, Joshimath. pic.twitter.com/UebBfXk36I
Some 30 people, trapped inside a tunnel in a power project site are still unaccounted for and rescue teams are still making efforts to reach them.
With the hours ticking by inexorably, fears escalated about those missing since the disaster struck on Sunday morning, according to officials who stepped up efforts to locate survivors.
Reuters
The missing people include those working at NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away.
The workers have been trapped in the 12-ft-high and about 2.5-km-long 'head race tunnel' (HRT).
"Clearing of debris and slush continued the whole night. About 120 metres of the tunnel entrance stretch is now clear," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said in Delhi.
"The height of the accumulated slush has reduced more. ITBP personnel are waiting to enter as soon as any movement deep inside the tunnel is possible," he said.
AFP
A senior official added that the rescuers have not been able to make any contact with those stuck inside but are hopeful for "signs of life".
Union home minister took stock of the situation
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a landslide triggered the snow avalanche leading to the tragic incident in the state.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Shah said the landslide triggered snow avalanche covering approximately 14 square km area and caused a flash flood in the Rishiganga river downstream in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
BCCL
He further said that the incident was observed from the satellite data (Planet Lab) of February 7, 2021 (Sunday) in catchment of Rishi Ganga river at the terminus of the glacier at an altitude of 5,600 metres.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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