Seven Workers Dead, Six Missing After Water Floods Under-Construction Chamoli Tunnel

Seven workers are confirmed dead, 11 injured and six remain missing after water and debris flooded an under-construction tunnel. The incident occurred on Thursday at a Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) project in the Pipalkoti area of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, PTI reported.

Initial reports indicated 22 workers were trapped inside the tunnel. Emergency teams have rescued 22 individuals, including the deceased and injured, while search operations continue for the six missing workers. The injured workers are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

Multiple emergency agencies rushed to the site to assist in the operation. These responders include local police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Indian Army.

Inside The Flooded Tunnel

The tunnel was heavily flooded, with water rising above chest level when rescue teams arrived.

"As soon as we received the information, our team reached the site and initiated the operation," NDRF Inspector Amrit Lal Meena told the media.

Five NDRF personnel, including Meena, entered the tunnel while the rest of the team remained outside to prepare equipment and assist with other tasks.

Meena said, "We waded through the water, and a few team members were equipped with specialised gear to carry out underwater operations. The four bodies were submerged and not visible from the surface so we went inside and recovered all four from the incident site."

Government Orders War Footing

Officials stated that Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) is constructing the hydroelectric project.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep concern over the incident and directed agencies to carry out relief and rescue operations on a "war footing".

Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said emergency operation centres are continuously monitoring the situation, with additional teams ready for deployment if required.