The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Monday rescued all 16 people who were trapped in the tunnel near the Tapovan area following a glacier burst in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, the officials said on Sunday.
The ITBP was carrying out the rescue operation at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli to rescue trapped people.
Following their rescue, the sheer joy and disbelief of the labourers translated into a devoted chant to Lord Badrinath, the patron Vishnu deity in the hills.
"Badri Vishal Lal ki jai!" the chants seemed to resonate across the rocky landscape, as the brave personnel of the ITBP joined in with the rescued workers to voice the Garhwali war cry.
The chant "Badri Vishal Lal ki Jai" translates to "Victory to the Sons of Lord Badri Nath", which is the designated war cry of the Garhwal Rifles infantry regiment of the Indian Army.
At least nine bodies have been recovered from the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) site in the Tapovan area, informed SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP.
"It is suspected that around 100 workers were at the site out of which, 9-10 dead bodies have been recovered from the river," he said.
"An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operation is on, the situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and police," the NTPC said.
Meanwhile, seven Navy diving teams are on standby for the flash flood relief operations in the state, said the Navy officials.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is monitoring the situation after the water level in the Dhauli Ganga River increased following an avalanche near a power project at Raini village in the Tapovan area.
The avalanche was triggered after a glacial burst in Chamoli district on Sunday.
(With inputs from agencies)