An ice sheet hanging around one of the mountain slided down along with a significant mass of land in the river valley as cause of Uttarakhand’s glacier burst, said an initial report, which claims which was sent to Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday. According to Lokesh Kumar Sinha, director of Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment (DGIRE) the report claims that this blockage of stream with the ice and land mass was one of the probable cause behind the incessant floods and avalanche in the Tapovan region of the northern state.

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Sinha also noted that the insights in the report were prepared on the basis of an aerial recce, which was performed a day after the disaster in the affected site.

The DGIRE director also added that his team visited Joshimath, the prime site of the avalanche, and conducted a road survey upto Raini village. Various evidences were collected following the research.

An avalanche prompted by the bursting of Nanda Devi glacier was reported in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district in Tapovan area on Sunday and caused massive destruction of life and property, including Rishi Ganga power project.

Five more bodies were recovered from the Chamoli district on Tuesday, taking the total death toll to 31, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.  

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic avalanche. Rs 50,000 would be given to those who were seriously injured in the incident.