Uttarakhand govt issues alert as avalanche hits Chamoli district

Chamoli district magistrate Swati Bhadoria said that some locals in Niti valley claimed that there was a glacier breakage in a remote part of the valley which is largely uninhabited.

A glacier breakage/snow avalanche was reported in Niti valley in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district near China border on Friday.

Nearly 80 people were killed in a glacier burst in Chamoli in February. (PTI)

Chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat tweeted about the incident, saying an alert has been issued and he is in constant touch with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the district administration for updates.

“We have got information (about a) glacier breakage in Sumna area of Niti Valley. I have issued an alert in this regard. I am in continuous touch with district administration and BRO (Border Roads Organisation),” he posted on Twitter.

“Have directed district administration to get all information about the incident. I have given the order to stop work during the night in NTPC and other projects so that no untoward incident occurs,” he said in another tweet.

Chamoli district magistrate Swati Bhadoria said that some locals in Niti valley claimed that there was a glacier breakage in a remote part of the valley which is largely uninhabited.

“I have contacted senior BRO officials and ITBP to confirm the development. A senior BRO officer has already left for the spot to see what happened there. The area is uninhabited but there are posts of ITBP and workers working for BRO,” she said.

According to locals, the higher reaches of Chamoli district have been witnessing rain and snowfall since the last three days.

Nearly 80 people were killed in a glacier burst in Chamoli in February.