A tragic incident occurred on Thursday in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, where six people lost their lives and 14 others sustained injuries after water and debris entered a tunnel under construction at a hydroelectric project site. According to officials, 22 workers were trapped inside the tunnel. Twenty people have been brought out of the tunnel, with six declared dead and 14 others undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
Information about the remaining two workers was not immediately available. The incident took place at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) Limited’s project site in the Pipalkoti area, where construction work is being carried out by the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan reported that several workers were trapped after water and debris entered the tunnel of the Pipalkoti hydroelectric project.
Rescue operations were promptly initiated, with police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and other agencies rushing to the spot. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Rudraprayag was also deployed to join the rescue operation, along with Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Army teams. District Magistrate (DM) Gaurav Kumar reached the spot and oversaw the entire operation.
In response to the incident, Chief Minister Dhami expressed concern and directed all agencies to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing. The situation is being continuously monitored from emergency operation centers, and additional teams will be deployed if needed, according to Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department.
