IBNS-CMEDIA: At least seven people were killed, and 14 others injured after a sudden surge of water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday, according to media reports.
One worker remains trapped inside the tunnel following the incident, which occurred at a project site operated by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. (THDC) in Pipalkoti.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies were immediately deployed to carry out rescue operations. Efforts are continuing to locate and evacuate the trapped worker.
Rescue teams are using heavy machinery to clear the debris and drain water from the tunnel to facilitate the operation.
Officials told India Today that workers who sustained serious injuries would be shifted to higher medical centres, while those with less severe injuries were being treated at Gopeshwar.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the relief and rescue operation was being carried out on a war footing.
“A war-level operation is underway to safely evacuate the remaining workers,” Dhami said in a post on his official X handle.
Heavy rain raises concern
The rescue operation comes amid heavy rainfall in Chamoli over the past several days, with rising water levels already disrupting normal life in parts of the district.
माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री @pushkardhami जी के साथ छत्तीसगढ़ के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री @vishnudsai जी एवं झारखंड के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री @HemantSorenJMM जी की दूरभाष पर वार्ता हुई। इस दौरान माननीय मुख्यमंत्री ने चमोली के मायापुर (पीपलकोटी) स्थित टीएचडीसी की निर्माणाधीन टनल में…
— Office Of Pushkar Singh Dhami (@OfficeofDhami) August 13, 2026
On Monday, strong currents in a river swept away a bridge in the Niti Valley region.
A video of the incident showed powerful muddy waters crashing into the metal bridge before the structure was uprooted and swept towards the riverbank.
