A flood of water and debris on Thursday evening into an under construction tunnel in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand killed at least seven people, while injuring others. The State Disaster Management Authority said that recently 18 workers have been rescued and three workers are feared trapped inside.
At the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) project site at Pipalkoti, around 28 workers were found at the site when a strong flow of water and debris suddenly entered into the tunnel. Several workers have reportedly been swept towards the tunnel’s exit by the strong currents.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar told PTI that a huge volume of water and debris entered the tunnel about 6.30 PM during the construction process. The search and rescue mission to locate and rescue the trapped workers is ongoing.
The incident was gravely sad, the administration had reached the spot, local MLA Lakhpat Butola said. The first thing that came to their mind is to give continuous assistance to those who survived and the rescue workers, he added.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has informed that rescue work in the affected area is to be done under war-like scenario and the affected area is to be classified into a “meteorological disaster zone.” High-ranking officials are also giving live updates to the Chief Minister while the rescue may is trying to reach the trapped workers.
The investigation and search for victims is ongoing at the tunnel while specialists try to bring home the other workers and carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the damage station.