The breaking off of part of a glacier in the Indian Himalayas has resulted in major flooding downstream. 100 to 150 people may have died, the Indian government reports.
The area is located approximately 300 kilometers northeast of the capital New Delhi. Authorities have raised the alarm and sent rescue teams.
The water level in the river that feeds the glacier, the Alaknanda, has risen dramatically in a short time and, according to authorities, is still rising. Inhabitants of the villages in the valley have been called to leave immediately.
According to eyewitnesses, a dam under construction has been washed away by the rising water. The lives of the people who worked there are feared. “It happened very quickly,” said a resident of the affected area. “There was no time to warn people.”
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