Gumla: Soon after the Chamoli administration released the photographs of those found dead in the glacier burst, the family of Vicky Oraon (30) identified his body, making it the state’s first confirmed casualty in the mishap. Residents of Bathet village in Lohardaga district on Wednesday evening said Vicky was one of the nine from the district who went missing in Chamoli on February 7.
Vicky’s corpse was identified by his father Ramdas Oraon and brother Vikas from a photograph shared through the helpline number set up by the Chamoli administration. The photograph was received by Shashi Oraon, a native of Bathet and the elder brother of Ravindra Oraon (23), who is among the missing. “Vicky’s brother and father identified him from a set of photographs. My brother is still missing,” Shashi told TOI over phone.
Lohardaga DC Dilip Kumar Toppo said the administration has not been informed about the development. “NTPC has told us it will transport the bodies, if any, to their homes and provide financial compensation. We will extend financial help separately,” he said.
Toppo visited the hamlet and spoke to the kin of the missing men, assuring that he will arrange for their travel to Chamoli if they want to go there. “We have written to the Uttarakhand chief secretary urging him to make efforts to locate the missing men from Lohardaga. We are also in touch with NTPC officials,” Toppo said.
Lohardaga MP Sudarshan Bhagat also wrote to Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and shared a list of the men from Lohardaga. Local MLA and state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon directed state disaster management secretary Amitabh Kaushal to be in touch with his Uttarakhand counterpart and monitor the search and rescue operations of missing persons from Jharkhand.