The death toll in the Uttarakhand disaster has shot to 58 after two more bodies were recovered early Tuesday from the Tapovan tunnel. Rescue works are underway in the region for the 10th consecutive day to reach workers feared trapped inside after a flash flood in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. According to officials, 148 people are still missing, reports PTI.
Eleven of the bodies were recovered from the tunnel at the National Thermal Power Corporation's Tapovan-Vishnugad project site, where about 30 people were initially feared trapped.
Meanwhile, Chamoli Chief Medical Officer G S Rana issued a video statement, saying all those killed in the glacial disaster suffered bodily injuries, and sludge and water entered their lungs.
"Post-mortem has been conducted on all the 58 bodies recovered so far by February 16 and I have seen the reports. All of them died of injuries sustained on their bodies and due to sludge and water entering their lungs," he said.
The multi-agency rescue effort in Chamoli district is focusing on the Tapovan tunnel.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) commandant PK Tiwari said the search-and-rescue operations will go on till the last victim is reached. But he also indicated that clearing the sludge and the debris from the entire tunnel could take months.
Asked about the chances of survival of those missing or trapped, the NDRF commandant said he cannot say anything with certainty, but miracles do happen.
Rescue work at the site progressed slower Tuesday than on other days with water seeping out of the debris from the yet to be cleared portion of the tunnel.
The agencies involved in the Tapovan rescue work include the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force.
Meanwhile, IANS reported that the last rites of 55 bodies and body parts retrieved from the spot, have been performed after collecting DNA samples, said DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne, who is also the spokesman of the state police. Bharne said the DNA samples would make it all clear about the identity of the persons killed in the calamity.
Out of the 58 bodies recovered so far, 31 have been identified. DNA samples of the mortal remains are being preserved in a forensic laboratory in Dehradun, Bharne said. Under the supervision of Ayush Agarwal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Rudraprayga, DNA samples of 49 bodies recovered and 56 family members have been sent to the forensic laboratory for the purpose of matching.
So far, FIRs related to 179 missing persons have been registered at the Joshimath police station in Uttarakhand.