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.
Police said the incident was reported at 7 pm on Thursday after debris and water entered the tunnel. (HT Photo)
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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.
According to State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) officials, 22 workers were trapped inside the tunnel following the sudden landslide and water seepage.
A large-scale multi-agency rescue operation was launched immediately. 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).
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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.
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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.
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Rescue operation underway to evacuate remaining workers from Uttarakhand’s Chamoli tunnel.
The injured workers were initially taken to the district hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment. The administration also placed Base Hospital Srinagar and AIIMS Rishikesh on alert to deal with any critically injured workers who might require advanced medical care.
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Officials said the rescue and relief operation was continuing and the administration was monitoring the situation closely.
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.
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Home/India News/Seven workers killed, 14 injured after landslide, water seepage in Chamoli tunnel
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