At least 16 workers were rescued and several others feared still trapped on Thursday after water and debris rushed into a tunnel under construction at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) Limited project in Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, officials said. The tunnel work is being carried out by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and the rescue operation is ongoing.
State government information said 18 to 19 workers were inside the tunnel when the incident occurred at around 7 pm; so far 16 have been brought out and efforts continue to locate and evacuate the remaining workers. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the government’s “top priority is to safely rescue everyone trapped,” and that he was receiving real-time updates.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan told PTI that initial reports indicated water and debris entered the Pipalkoti hydroelectric project tunnel, trapping several labourers. Police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other agencies rushed to the site. An NDRF team from Rudraprayag was reported to be en route, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Army teams have also been deployed.
District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar reached the spot to oversee operations. Officials said rescuers first brought eight workers out and later evacuated another eight. Those rescued are reported to be in stable condition; some sustained minor injuries and are receiving care.
In a post on X, Dhami directed all agencies to carry out relief and rescue operations “on a war footing.” Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department, said the situation is being monitored continuously from emergency operation centres and additional teams will be deployed if needed. The rescue operation at the Pipalkoti tunnel remains active as authorities work to account for everyone.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/uttarakhand-tunnel-accident-3-workers-feared-trapped-16-rescued-after-water-debris-flood-pipalkoti-site-14038067.html
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Publish Date: 2026-08-14 00:38:00
