Dog waits for days near Uttarakhand ravaged site in hope 'rescuers will save its puppies'

A dog in Uttarakhand has not eaten anything for days since the flash floods devastated the Alaknanda river system in Chamoli district a week ago. The dog is reportedly waiting for rescuers to save its puppies, who might be buried under the debris that came rushing along with the flood, possibly triggered by a glacier burst in Nanda Devi. According to PTI, villagers told rescuers working in the area that the dog has been waiting at the site since the flood ravaged the district on February 7. 

Read: Uttarakhand Calamity: Three More Bodies Recovered, Toll Climbs To 53

'Not eating anything' 

The dog is refusing to eat food offered by the villagers and is sometimes seen crying and howling while looking at the site. Villagers told rescuers that the dog had 3-4 puppies before the flood hit the region, killing at least 50 people and resulting in the disappearance of more than 150 others, mostly workers employed by a nearby NTPC plant. According to reports, the chunk of the glacier that possibly broke off and caused the flooding in the Alaknanda river was at least 15 football fields long and five fields wide. 

Read: 9 From UP Died In Uttarakhand Disaster, 59 Still Missing: Officials

Experts suggest that the glacier that possibly broke off, might have retreated because of less snowfall in the region this winter. The flooding was so intense that it formed a new 400-metre wide lake near Raini village in Joshimath. Rescue operations are still underway and so far emergency responders have recovered at least 30 bodies, while two people were found alive. 

Read: Uttarakhand Glacier Burst: US Mourns Loss Of Lives In Flash Floods

On the day of the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the whole of India is praying for Uttarakhand in this grim moment, adding he is "constantly monitoring" the situation. PM Modi immediately approved an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each for family members of those killed in the incident, while Rs. 50,000 for those severely injured. 

Read: Lake Formed Near Raini Village In Joshimath Being Monitored: Uttarakhand CM

(With inputs from PTI)