Bodies of 2 missing workers recovered from Chamoli tunnel, toll rises to 10: Official

Chamoli district magistrate Gaurav Kumar said the search operation was completed after the recovery of the two missing workers

The search for two missing workers at an inundated under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district ended on Tuesday with the recovery of their bodies, taking the death toll to 10, official said.

The two workers were identified as Lucas Topno from Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam from Chhattisgarh. (HT Photo)

The two workers were identified as Lucas Topno from Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam from Chhattisgarh.

The eight workers whose bodies were recovered earlier were identified as Pradeep Panwar from Tehri Garhwal, Mukesh Singh from Chamoli, Durlabh Sharma and Jitendra Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, Vijay Hansda from Jharkhand, and Lokeshwar, Bhuvneshwar and Devnath from Chhattisgarh.

A suspected aquifer burst sent a torrent of water and debris through the THDC’s under-construction tunnel on August 13, trapping 22 workers. Twelve workers were rescued.

Chamoli district magistrate Gaurav Kumar said the search operation was completed after the recovery of the two missing workers.

“The operation was challenging as a large stretch of the tunnel was filled with water, debris and slush, while heavy machinery was also stuck inside, restricting the movement of rescue teams. However, through sustained efforts and coordinated operations, the teams managed to reach the affected sections and recover the missing workers,” Kumar said.

Teams of the district administration, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), THDC and other agencies worked together to drain water, clear debris and remove machinery while carrying out searches at possible locations, he said.

“The teams worked continuously in difficult conditions, using available resources and modern equipment. Suction pumps and other equipment were used to drain water, helping rescuers access the inner sections of the tunnel,” Kumar said.

He said all rescued workers were provided medical assistance and those requiring further treatment were shifted to hospitals.

Teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at Joshimath and Gauchar, the Army at Joshimath, NDRF, SDRF, District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) played an important role in the operation, Kumar said.

“The coordinated efforts and prompt response of all the agencies were instrumental in successfully completing the rescue operation,” he said.

Preliminary assessments suggest that the tunnel was inundated after a rain-saturated aquifer ruptured through the roof of the three-km-long tunnel, about 1.44 km from its entrance.

Rainwater from the surrounding slopes had percolated into a water-bearing layer above the tunnel before breaking through a weak section of rock under pressure. The resulting surge of water pushed a column of air ahead of it, throwing some workers towards the tunnel mouth, while others were trapped by debris deeper inside the tunnel.

Rescued workers said they first heard and felt a powerful gust of air, followed by a surge of muck, boulders and water.