14 people were killed and 170 are still missing, after a glacier break at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered massive flooding of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday.

Many villages were evacuated as floods swept away five bridges, damaged homes and the nearby NTPC power plant, and washed away a small hydro power project near Rishiganga.

Six people were injured. National and state disaster response teams have been deployed, as have teams from the ITBP. The Army has sent six columns and the Navy seven diving teams.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety."

148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga - are still missing. Twelve people trapped in an under-construction tunnel have been rescued by an ITBP team. Around thirty others are trapped in a second tunnel, reportedly around 2.5 km long, and rescue teams worked through the night to save them.

14 bodies had been found so far. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat who visited Chamoli district on Sunday, said rescue teams were "doing their best to save the lives of the workers". He also said a team of scientific experts would work to establish the exact cause of the disaster at a later stage.

Videos and images showed the massive burst of water tearing through a narrow valley below the power plant, leaving roads and bridges destroyed in its wake. Authorities emptied two dams in a bid to stop the flood waters from reaching Rishikesh and Haridwar, where people were barred from going near the Ganga riverbanks.

Melting of Himalayan glaciers has doubled since the start of the 21st century due to rising temperatures, a study published in 2019 said. Scientists analysed 40 years of satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, which indicates climate change is eating Himalayan glaciers. This potentially threatens water supply for hundreds of millions of people in these countries, including India.