Tragic Tunnel Accident in Chamoli: Search Continues for Missing Worker

Search Efforts Intensify After Tunnel Accident

Gopeshwar/Dehradun: The search for a worker trapped in a flooded tunnel has taken a grim turn as authorities confirmed the recovery of a body on Tuesday, raising the death toll from the hydropower project incident to nine.

According to officials, the worker was among twenty-two individuals caught in the three-kilometre tunnel, part of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation's Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project, when a landslide occurred on August 13, leading to a deluge of debris and water.

Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer NK Joshi reported that the body was discovered during ongoing search operations by various agencies. The remains have been sent to the district hospital in Gopeshwar for identification.

The tragic accident has left one worker still unaccounted for, while twelve others sustained injuries. Rescue operations are being conducted with urgency to locate the missing individual.

A collaborative team, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local police, and other agencies, has been tirelessly working on search and rescue efforts since the incident.

Despite challenging conditions, including significant sludge within the tunnel, the search continues. Teams are coordinating their efforts to navigate through the adverse environment, with the sludge complicating the operation.

Efforts are underway to clear the accumulated debris and sludge, with water being pumped out rapidly using suction pumps and other equipment to aid in the search for the missing worker.

Chamoli District Information Officer Dheeraj Karki stated that three out of five JCB machines trapped in the tunnel have been successfully retrieved, which has expedited the search for the remaining workers. The extraction of the remaining two machines is expected to occur soon.