A major accident occurred when water and debris suddenly entered the tunnel under construction of the hydroelectric project of Tehri Water Development Corporation (THDC) in Pipalkoti area of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Thursday evening. Many laborers were working inside the tunnel at the time of the accident. Due to the strong flow of water and debris, there was panic among the workers and many people got trapped inside the tunnel.
According to initial information, seven laborers died in the accident, while 11 others were injured. According to officials, the search for six laborers is still going on. The injured laborers have been admitted to the nearest hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. The construction work of the project is being done by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC).
When did the accident happen?
According to the information, the accident happened at around 6:30 pm on Thursday evening. At that time, workers were engaged in construction work inside the tunnel. Suddenly, with a strong current, water and debris reached inside the tunnel. Due to the strong flow of water, some workers were swept away towards the outer part of the tunnel, while many others got trapped inside. Initial reports said that a total of 22 workers were trapped in the tunnel. Many workers were taken out during the rescue operation. However, there are differences in initial reports regarding the number of dead, injured and missing workers.
How is NDRF conducting the search operation?
NDRF Inspector Amrit Lal Meena, who was involved in the rescue operation, said that there was heavy waterlogging inside the tunnel and the water had reached chest-deep at many places. Relief and rescue teams went under water and searched for trapped people and dead bodies. “We entered the water and some team members were equipped with special equipment to conduct underwater operations. All four bodies were submerged in water and were not visible from the surface, so we went in and recovered all four bodies from the spot,” Meena told the media.
Which agencies were involved in the rescue operation?
As soon as information about the accident was received, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other relief agencies reached the spot. After this, teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Army were also included in the rescue operation.
What are CM Dhami's instructions?
Expressing concern over the accident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the concerned agencies to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing. The situation at the incident site is being continuously monitored by the administration. Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department, Vinod Kumar Suman said that the situation is being continuously monitored through emergency operation centres. If needed, additional rescue teams and resources will be sent to the spot.
The main focus of the rescue teams is currently on locating the workers trapped and missing in the tunnel. The search operation inside the tunnel remains difficult due to water and debris. Rescue agencies are continuously carrying out operations with the help of available resources and special equipment.