A colossal flood in northern India, which followed a piece of a Himalayan glacier falling into a river, into a river has seen 18 dead and 200 others missing. It is not yet clear what caused  the glacial burst. Experts, however, say one possibility is that a temperature rise caused massive ice blocks to break off the glacier, releasing a huge amount of water. Another possibility is that an avalanche or landslide may have dammed the  river for some time, causing it to burst out after the water level rose.

The event took place in Uttarkhand, when floodwaters burst open a dam and a torrent of water poured through a valley. Uttarakhand police said an avalanche struck at about 11:00 local time on Sunday, destroying a dam known as the Rishiganga Hydroelectric Project. Police said the impact hurled water along the Dhauliganga river, damaging another power project downstream.

The BBC reports that most of the missing are workers from the two hydro power plants in the area. 16 workers who had been trapped inside a tunnel filled with debris have been rescued by emergency crews, but around 35 to 40 others are thought to be trapped in a second  tunnel. Emergency crews are trying to clear the mouth of that tunnel, which is roughly 2.5 kms long, using heavy equipment.

Federal minister RK Singh said, “We’ve been able to access up to about 70 meters inside the tunnel. We have to further access about 180 meters.” According to the BBC, rescuers have not as yet been able to establish any communication with those trapped inside. Meanwhile, the director general of the National Disaster Response Force said rescue operations could take up to 48 hours.

Uttarakhand, in the western Himalayas, is reportedly prone to flash floods and landslides.

Umm Muhammed Umar