Uttarakhand tunnel workers say they flagged water leak before flood

Workers at the under-construction tunnel in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, where eight men died and two remain missing, have alleged that the company ignored repeated warnings about a water leak before the disaster. Ankush, a worker from Gauchar, said dirty water began leaking from the tunnel roof on Wednesday, three days before the flood. He told NDTV that engineers and officials were informed but did not inspect the site, saying instead that a support rib was settling.

The tunnel is part of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, executed by THDC and constructed by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar told both NDTV and Hindustan Times that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered on the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Rescue teams are using suction pumps to drain the tunnel and search for the two missing workers.

Twenty-two workers were on shift when water and debris rushed in around 7 pm on Thursday. Twelve were rescued and taken to hospital. Preliminary assessments cited by Hindustan Times suggest a rain-saturated aquifer ruptured through the roof about 1.44 km from the tunnel entrance, releasing water under pressure through a weak section of rock.