Dehradun: Seven workers were killed and 14 others injured after a landslide and heavy water seepage triggered a partial collapse inside an under-construction THDC tunnel at Mayapur near Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday evening.
A large-scale multi-agency rescue operation was launched immediately. Senior officials are at the site and supervising the relief and rescue operation. HCC machinery and specialised equipment were also deployed to clear debris and assist the rescue teams.
The incident occurred around 7 pm inside a tunnel of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC)-owned Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, where construction work was being carried out by HCC, according to officials. 22 workers were trapped inside the tunnel following the sudden landslide and water seepage, according to State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) officials. By 11 pm, 21 workers were evacuated from the tunnel. Seven of them were declared dead, while 14 others were injured and shifted for medical treatment, officials said. The rescue operation is being undertaken by 57 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 42 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 21 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), 22 from local police stations and outposts, nine fire service personnel and four personnel from the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF).
Officials said the rescue and relief operation was continuing and the administration was monitoring the situation closely.
