Dehradun: Seven workers lost their lives in the tunnel collapse that occurred at Mayapur near Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday evening.
Fourteen people have been injured in the incident that was triggered by a landslide followed by heavy water seepage. The tunnel of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC)-owned Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project partially collapsed, trapping workers inside.
The construction work was being carried out by HCC, officials said.
The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said that the incident occurred around 7 pm and 22 workers were trapped inside, as reported by Hindustan Times.
A multi-agency rescue operation was launched immediately and by 11 pm, 21 workers were evacuated from the tunnel. Seven of them were declared dead, while 14 others were injured and shifted for medical treatment, officials said.
They said that the rescue operation is being undertaken by 57 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 42 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 21 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 22 from local police stations and outposts.
Nine fire service personnel and four from the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) are also involved in the operation that is being supervised by senior officials. HCC machinery and specialised equipment were also deployed to clear debris and assist the rescue teams.
The injured workers were initially taken to the district hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment. The administration also placed Base Hospital Srinagar and AIIMS Rishikesh on alert to deal with any critically injured workers who might require advanced medical care.
Rescue and relief operation was continuing and the administration was monitoring the situation closely, officials said.
