The death toll in the Chamoli tunnel incident rose to 11 after a worker receiving treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh succumbed to injuries, officials said.
The worker was identified as Rohit Pandey (20), a native of Bihar who died on Tuesday.
Chamoli district magistrate Gaurav Kumar confirmed the development and said, “The injured worker was initially shifted to Srinagar Base Hospital from where he was referred to AIIMS Rishikesh, where he succumbed to injuries during treatment.”
“The death toll in the incident is now 11,” he said.
He said the district administration was also mediating talks between representatives of the victim workers and THDC India Limited (formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited) regarding the workers’ demand for increased compensation.
“A total compensation of ₹11 lakh has been announced by the THDC and executing company Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), but the workers are demanding a compensation of ₹50 lakh. They are referring to compensation given by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) during the Raini disaster incident, but the THDC is citing the compensation given during the recent Sikkim tunnel incident. We have called the stakeholders for the next round of talks,” the DM said.
Also Read: Chamoli tunnel toll stands at 8; fate of 2 still unknown as rescue operation continues
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Chamoli tunnel toll stands at 8; fate of 2 still unknown as rescue operation continues
{{/usCountry}}“Six workers are receiving treatment at Gopeshwar hospital,’ he added.
The search and rescue operation in the inundated under-construction tunnel in Chamoli ended on Tuesday with the recovery of the bodies of two missing workers.
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.
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.
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.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the tunnel was inundated after a rain-saturated aquifer ruptured through the roof of the three-km-long tunnel, about 1.44km 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.