Seven Killed as Water and Debris Flood Indian Tunnel in Uttarakhand

At least seven workers perished and several others sustained injuries when a sudden surge of water and debris flooded an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday. Officials confirmed the identities of the deceased as Pradeep Singh Pawar, Mukesh, Durlabh Singh, Vijay, Jitendra Kumar, Lokeshwar, and Bhuneshwar.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is scheduled to visit the accident site to oversee the ongoing rescue and relief efforts. He will assess the situation firsthand, speak with officials involved, and check on the well-being of those injured at Gopeshwar District Hospital. The Chief Minister's visit underscores the gravity of the situation and the government's focus on providing support.

The State Disaster Management Authority reported that 13 workers have been rescued so far. Approximately 25 workers were present at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) project site in Pipalkoti when the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The powerful currents swept workers towards the tunnel's exit, causing panic and significant damage.

Local MLA Lakhpat Butola described the incident as "deeply tragic" and assured that the administration is fully committed to the rescue operation. Chief Minister Dhami has directed officials to conduct rescue and relief operations on a war footing, receiving continuous real-time updates. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are conducting intensive search operations in challenging conditions to locate any remaining trapped workers. The accident follows recent heavy rainfall in the district, which has caused other infrastructure issues, including a bridge collapse earlier in the week.

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This is a deeply tragic incident. The entire administrative team and all my colleagues have reached the spot, and our priority is to provide every possible support to those engaged in the rescue efforts.