National
Uttarakhand Tunnel Accident: Seven Workers Dead, Search On for Three
Seven workers died after debris and water flooded a tunnel under construction at a hydroelectric project in Chamoli district, while rescue teams continue searching for three workers still missing after the accident.
Seven workers were killed after water and debris suddenly gushed into an under-construction tunnel at a hydroelectric project site in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred at Mayapur near Pipalkoti on Thursday when landslides and subsidence caused debris and water to enter the tunnel, filling nearly half of it and trapping workers inside.
District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi said 22 people were inside the tunnel when the incident occurred. Rescue teams managed to evacuate 19 workers overnight, while seven of those rescued later succumbed to their injuries. A search operation is currently underway for three missing workers.
The deceased have been identified as Pradeep Singh Pawar of Tehri, Mukesh of Chamoli, Durlabh Sharma of Bihar, Vijay and Jitendra Kumar of Jharkhand, and Lokeshwar and Bhuneshwar, whose native places had not yet been ascertained.
The injured workers were taken to Gopeshwar District Hospital for treatment.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Uttarakhand Police are involved in the rescue operation.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Pipalkoti by helicopter to oversee the rescue operations. District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar, who was present at the site, directed officials to mobilise all available resources to locate and rescue the missing workers.
The rescue operation remains focused on clearing debris and water from the affected section of the tunnel and locating the three workers who remain unaccounted for.