India on February 7 scrambled to deploy its various forces in search, salvage & rescue operations in Uttarakhand which is facing a major disaster following a glacier burst in Chamoli district. While 14 bodies have been found, over 170 persons were said to be missing. <br /> <br />National & state disaster response teams have been deployed, as have teams from the ITBP. The Army has sent six columns & the Navy seven diving teams. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, \"India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone\'s safety.” 170 people - 148 employed at the NTPC plant & 22 at Rishiganga, are still missing. <br /> <br />A clip shows ITBP personnel slowly pulling out a man from the tunnel, just a couple of meters wide, using a rope amid chants of \"zor laga ke haisha\". All 12 workers have been rescued from the tunnel, said the local administration. Around thirty others are trapped in a second tunnel, reportedly around 2.5 km long & rescue teams worked through the night to save them. <br /> <br />The Army has also deployed choppers to support the government\'s operations. Many villages were evacuated as floods swept away five bridges, damaged homes & the nearby NTPC power plant. A small hydropower project near Rishiganga was also washed away.
