Four workers were trapped inside an under-construction THDC India tunnel near Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district after a landslide caused debris and water to enter the 3-km-long tail-race tunnel on Thursday evening. The debris and water entered the tunnel around 1.5 km from its mouth, officials said.
Eighteen workers have been rescued so far, while a search and rescue operation is underway to evacuate the remaining three, officials said.
Speaking to reporters, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the workers were trapped after mud and debris came down following a landslide. “So far, 18 workers have been rescued, some of whom sustained injuries. They have been admitted to hospital and are receiving all necessary treatment,” he told the reporters.
“Preparations have also been made for emergency helicopter evacuation if required. All necessary arrangements are in place. Our effort is to rescue all the workers, and the operation to evacuate everyone as quickly as possible is underway,” Dhami added.
According to police, the incident occurred around 7:05pm when 22 workers were inside the tunnel. A sudden influx of water and debris trapped those on shift.
Also Read | Uttarakhand government says taekwondo player case was not about bribe demand
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Uttarakhand government says taekwondo player case was not about bribe demand
{{/usCountry}}Emergency teams, including local disaster response personnel, were immediately deployed to reach the stranded workers.
CM Dhami directs officials to oversee rescue efforts
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep concern over the incident at the THDC tunnel. He said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had been dispatched to the site “considering the seriousness of the incident”.
“Instructions have been issued to all relevant agencies, including the district administration, to carry out relief and rescue operations at a war footing,” he said.
The chief minister added that he was in touch with senior officials and receiving real-time updates on the situation. He stressed that the government's top priority was to safely evacuate every person trapped inside the tunnel and that all necessary resources had been deployed for the operation.
Dhami also directed officials to ensure there was no laxity in the rescue efforts and that all possible assistance was provided to the affected workers and their families.
Vinod Kumar Suman, secretary, disaster management and rehabilitation, said all agencies concerned have been directed to work in close coordination and expedite relief and rescue operations to ensure the safe evacuation of those trapped inside the tunnel.
“The priority is to safely evacuate all the people trapped inside the tunnel,” Suman said, adding that additional resources and specialist teams would be deployed as required to strengthen the rescue operation.
The district administration and all agencies involved in relief and rescue operations are working in coordination at the incident site, officials said.