Uttarakhand glacier burst: Two more bodies recovered from Tapovan tunnel, death toll rises to 38

Two more bodies were recovered from the Tapovan tunnel by the rescue team who are trying to reach the more than 30 people trapped inside after a flashflood-hit Joshimath area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand taking the death toll to 38.

Chamoli: Two more bodies were recovered from the Tapovan tunnel early on Sunday morning by the rescue team who are trying to reach the more than 30 people trapped inside after a flashflood-hit Joshimath area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. 

Confirming the development, Chamoli District Magistrate, Swati S Bhadauria said, "Two bodies have been recovered from the tunnel today. Search and rescue operations at Tapovan in Chamoli have been intensified following the recovery of the two bodies."

Rescue teams have been trying to reach out to the trapped people at the site of the flood-ravaged Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project.

Many people are still trapped in the sludge-choked tunnel. The operation was temporarily halted following a rise in the level of water in the Rishiganga River.

The district magistrate had said on Saturday that 38 bodies have been recovered so far from the flood-hit areas of Chamoli district while 166 are still missing after the disaster.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat asserted that a lake has been forming in the upper region of the Raini village in Uttarakhand which may hamper the ongoing rescue efforts. He added that the authorities are closely observing the developments and that there is no need to panic.