Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], August 14 : Four bodies have been recovered from an under-construction tunnel of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC) at Pipalkoti in Chamoli, where several workers were trapped after water and debris entered the tunnel, officials said on Thursday.
Rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF teams are underway to evacuate the remaining workers trapped inside the tunnel. Officials said 18 workers have been rescued so far and shifted to the district hospital for treatment.
NDRF team commander Amrit Lal Meena said a large volume of water had entered the tunnel when the rescue team reached the site, with water also seeping in from the sides.
"After our team arrived and started the operation, there was a massive volume of water inside the tunnel. The water level has risen significantly since then. Our personnel, using specialised equipment, have recovered four bodies from the water so far. The rescue operation is still underway and will continue until everyone is retrieved," Meena told ANI.
THDC Executive Director (Projects) Kumar Sharad said around 20 to 22 workers were present inside the tunnel when the accident occurred.
He said NDRF and SDRF teams were deployed for the rescue operation, and 18 workers had been rescued so far and shifted to the district hospital for treatment. Three to four of the rescued workers are in serious condition, he said.
"It is with great regret that I have to inform you about a major accident at our hydroelectric project in Pipalkoti, Vishnughat. Debris collapsed into our tail-race tunnel following an influx of water. About 20 to 22 of our workers were present and became trapped there. NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed; they have successfully rescued 18 people, all of whom are currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Three or four of them are in serious condition. Our rescue teams are working to bring out the remaining individuals as quickly as possible... THDC stands firmly with the workers and is committed to providing every possible assistance. It happened around 7:00 PM. A cavity formed due to a sudden influx of water, leading to the accident... There had been a possibility of continuous rain for several days, so we had considered halting the work. We were working there while observing all the necessary safety precautions. However, the incident occurred quite suddenly," Sharad told ANI.
The rescue operation is continuing at the site with NDRF and SDRF personnel working to locate and evacuate those still trapped inside the tunnel.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was monitoring the situation from the State Disaster Management Authority office in Dehradun, said that instructions have been issued to carry out rescue operations at war footing.