Chamoli, August 14: Rescue personnel continue to battle rising water levels deep inside an under-construction hydroelectric tunnel in Chamoli district following a catastrophic influx of water and mud. Out of nineteen workers extracted from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited project at Pipalkoti and rushed to Gopeshwar District Hospital, medical staff declared seven dead upon arrival. Emergency crews from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force remain on scene attempting to locate any remaining workers trapped beneath the sludge.
Hospital authorities immediately admitted ten survivors showing stable vital signs while transferring one critically injured worker to the Base Hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.
Dr. Aayush stated that a total of nineteen individuals were brought to the facility from the THDC site, with seven pronounced dead at the hospital and thirteen arriving in relatively stable condition. He added that ten were admitted, while one young man whose condition was unstable was referred onward.
Initial reports from project leadership indicated that somewhere between twenty and twenty-two personnel were active inside the subterranean passage when the breach occurred. Rescue teams encountered severe flooding immediately upon entering the site, complicating efforts as water continued to seep heavily through the side walls.
NDRF Team Commander Amrit Lal Meena declared that after their team arrived and started the operation, there was a massive volume of water inside the tunnel, with the water level rising significantly since then. He maintained that personnel using specialized equipment recovered four bodies from the water, affirming that the rescue operation will continue until everyone is retrieved.
THDC Executive Director for Projects Kumar Sharad asserted that around twenty to twenty-two workers were present inside the tunnel when the accident occurred. He noted that search and rescue teams deployed immediately, with three to four of the rescued individuals remaining in serious condition.
