7 dead, 3 missing in Chamoli hydropower tunnel collapse

The Story in Brief

Seven workers died and three remain missing after water and debris suddenly flooded an under-construction tunnel at a Tehri Hydro Development Corporation project in Chamoli district's Pipalkoti area on Thursday. Twenty-two workers were inside when the surge occurred. Twelve were rescued immediately, and seven bodies have been recovered. The deceased include workers from Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Jharkhand, according to NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi. Continuous rainfall and rising water levels, 5-6 feet deep inside the 2.5-km tunnel, are hampering rescue efforts by NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, CISF, and the Army.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami landed at the site on Friday despite adverse weather to oversee rescue operations. He has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident and announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for each deceased worker's next of kin. Survivors described a sudden rush of "water and wind like a storm" that threw them out of the tunnel. Rescuers are facing low oxygen levels and landslide risk as they search for the three missing persons.