Toll climbs to 28 in Uttarakhand disaster, CM undertakes aerial survey of affected areas

Two more bodies of around 170 missing in Uttarakhand disaster were recovered from debris in Raini vill on Tuesday, while rescuers worked through tonnes of muck and slush to rescue around 30 workers trapped in a tunnel at a power project site in Tapovan.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who reached Tapovan on Monday evening to review rescue efforts, undertook an aerial survey of affected areas on Tuesday and also met 12 workers who were rescued from tunnel on Sunday evening.

Talking to reporters, Rawat said priority is to get to those trapped inside tunnel and save as many lives as possible.          ditional heavy machines could be pressed into service to expedite process of clearing tonnes of debris inside tunnel blocking path of rescue personnel.

NDRF said its personnel recovered 2 bodies from debris in Raini vill on Tuesday morning.  With recovery of two bodies, toll in disaster climbed to 28 while around 170 are still missing.

A portion of Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst through its banks in Chamoli district on Sunday.It appeared to have triggered an avalanche and a deluge that ripped through Alaknanda river system in upper reaches of ecologically fragile Himalayas.

Experts, however, are still trying to determine exact cause of disaster in Joshimath.