Glacial burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district causes Avalanche

A part of a glacier collapsed in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday causing an avalanche in the region. The incident occurred in an area close to the Niti valley near the Indo-China border, officials said.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel were rushed to the site, officials said adding that no contact was established as of late Friday with anyone in the area, which has been cut off due to heavy snowfall.

Officials further said that there is no clue about the magnitude of damage in the area.

According to BRO personnel, many labourers were engaged in road construction work there.

Tweeting about the incident Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said that his government has issued an alert and that he is in constant touch with BRO officials and district authorities.

In another tweet, Rawat said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken immediate cognizance of the incident and assured the state of all help.

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also said he is monitoring the situation closely.

"Unfortunate that a disaster has struck Reni Village of Uttarakhand owing to a glacier burst on Dhauliganga river. I am monitoring the situation closely. CWC is on alert and a team led by a secretary level officer has taken charge of the situation," he wrote on Twitter.

This is the second glacier burst incident reported in the district, recently. In February, a similar disaster led to a massive avalanche followed by floods killing at least 80 people in the area.