Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday briefed the Rajya Sabha on the glacier burst at Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, the destruction caused and the steps taken in its aftermath. As on Monday evening, 20 people were killed, six wounded and 197 were missing, the Minister told the House. 

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Those missing include 139 from NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project, 46 from the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project and 12 villagers. 12 workers of the NTPC hydel project were rescued from a tunnel and 15 of the Rishi Ganga project were rescued from the disaster site, Shah told the Members of Parliament. 

A search and rescue operation is underway for the estimated 25 to 35 people trapped at NTPC’s another tunnel. 

“All concerned agencies of Centre and State are monitoring the situation,” he said. 

For 13 villages connectivity with which was snapped due to flooding, relief material is being provided with helicopters, the Minister said. 

450 jawans of ITBP, 5 teams of NDRF, 8 teams of Indian Army, a Navy team and 5 IAF helicopters are engaged in search and rescue operation, Shah said. A control room was set up at Joshimath, he added.

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Following the Minister’s address, members of Rajya Sabha paid tribute to the victims.