At least seven workers have died in an accident inside the DRT tunnel of an under-construction hydro project in Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. A large amount of water and debris suddenly entered the tunnel on Thursday evening, trapping workers inside.
Rescue teams have so far safely evacuated 18 people, while three workers remain missing. The tunnel has been filled with water, silt and debris, making the rescue operation challenging.
Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), district administration and disaster management department are carrying out rescue operations at the site. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is monitoring the operation and has directed officials to conduct the rescue effort on a war footing.
According to the information available, construction work was underway on a tunnel for a hydro project in the Pipalkoti area of Chamoli. Between around 6:30 pm and 7 pm on Thursday, a large amount of water and debris suddenly emerged from a cavity inside the tunnel.
The incident occurred while workers were engaged in construction work inside the tunnel. Water and heavy debris reportedly began spreading rapidly with a sudden loud sound. The accident happened so suddenly that the workers did not have enough time to reach a safe location.
The tunnel is reportedly around 3.5 kilometres long, and the accident occurred approximately 1.8 kilometres inside it. Water and debris reached up to about 1.5 kilometres from the tunnel entrance, affecting several workers.
The rescue operation inside the tunnel remains a major challenge for the teams. Heavy silt and debris carried in with the water have blocked routes at several points. At some locations, rescuers have had to search for trapped workers in extremely confined spaces.
According to officials, initial information indicated that 22 workers were trapped inside the tunnel. Rescue teams safely evacuated 18 of them. Seven workers were subsequently confirmed dead, while three people remain unaccounted for.
The rescue operation was temporarily halted during the night because of the continuous accumulation of debris inside the tunnel and unsafe conditions. After assessing the situation, the operation was resumed to search for the missing workers.
According to information from the site, panic broke out inside the tunnel during the accident. As water and debris flowed rapidly into the tunnel, workers attempted to move to safety. Several workers tried to reach the outer section of the tunnel along the flow, but heavy silt and debris made the effort difficult.
Gravity packing work was underway inside the tunnel during construction. The sudden flow of water and debris from the cavity led to the incident, after which rescue personnel began efforts to reach the affected section using modern equipment and available resources.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to accelerate relief and rescue operations immediately after receiving information about the accident. He also instructed officials to provide all possible assistance to the affected workers and their families.
Workers from Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were reportedly engaged in the tunnel construction work. Dhami has also spoken to the chief ministers of these states and shared information about the incident and the ongoing relief operation.
