Seven workers died when water gushed inside a tunnel under construction at a hydroelectric project site in Chamoli district; meanwhile, a search operation
is on for three missing persons. The incident occurred in a tunnel at Mayapur (Pipalkoti), when landslides and subsidence caused debris and water to fill half of the tunnel, trapping workers inside. According to District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi, 22 people were inside the tunnel at the time of the incident on Thursday. While 19 people were rescued overnight, seven died. According to a statement, the deceased were identified as Pradeep Singh Pawar of Tehri, Mukesh of Chamoli, Durlabh Sharma of Bihar, Vijay and Jitendra Kumar of Jharkhand, and Lokeshwar and Bhuneshwar, whose native place could not yet be ascertained. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the police are carrying out the rescue.
'Water and Wind Came Like a Storm': Survivors Recount Chamoli Tunnel Horror
Workers rescued from the Chamoli tunnel described the terrifying moments after water and strong winds suddenly entered the tunnel, throwing several workers outside and leaving them struggling to escape.
"The scene was very terrifying, like... as if a wave of terror came from that direction. It happened so suddenly... anyway, because of the water, we moved forward here," rescued worker Vabil Gude from Jharkhand told ANI.
Another worker, Nister Bhengra, said, "Water and wind came very fast. After that, we were all thrown outside. Then the water slowed down a bit. Then we gradually came out."
"Water came with such high speed, like a storm, and we couldn't do anything about it," Prem Singh said. "The scene was very terrifying. All of a sudden, wind and then water came, filling everything inside the tunnel. After that, we didn't know anything," Vinod Raman said.
CM Pushkar Dhami Inspects Site
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami landed at Pipalkoti in a helicopter to oversee rescue operations on Friday. The Chief Minister took an update on the progress of the rescue operation from the administration, police, SDRF, NDRF and other agencies present at the site, and issued necessary directions.
The Chief Minister will meet the injured workers who have been rescued and enquire about their well-being.
"Except for three people, out of 22 people who were working here, have been rescued. The injured workers are being given medical treatment. All agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, State Disaster Management and local Administration, are working here. State Minister Bharat Singh Chaudhary has been here at the site since yesterday. There is a lot of water and rubble here. I had spoken to the CMs of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand as the workers belong to those states. Our first priority is safe rescue," Dhami told reporters.
