Dhami inspects THDC tunnel rescue operation in Chamoli, 3 people remain trapped

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday visited an under-construction THDC tunnel at Mayapur near Pipalkoti in Chamoli and reviewed the ongoing rescue operation following an incident in which debris and water entered the tunnel after ground subsidence.

Dhami entered the tunnel to assess the situation and took an update from officials and rescue personnel at the site. He directed authorities to use available resources and technical expertise to safely evacuate those still trapped.

The incident occurred at the THDC Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project. The under-construction tunnel is around 3 km long, with debris and water reported to have entered a section of about 1.5 km.

19 people rescued, three remain trapped

According to Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar, 22 people were trapped inside the tunnel after the incident. Nineteen have since been rescued, while efforts are continuing to locate and evacuate the remaining three.

Seven people have so far been reported dead in the incident. The injured workers who were rescued have been shifted to the district hospital in Gopeshwar, where doctors and health department teams are providing treatment and monitoring their condition.

Dhami directed officials to ensure that those injured receive timely medical care and that necessary assistance is provided to the families affected by the incident.

Rescue agencies deployed at site

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Uttarakhand Police are involved in the rescue operation.

The chief minister asked officials to maintain coordination among the agencies and make effective use of equipment and technical expertise available at the site. He also stressed that the operation should be carried out with due caution, keeping the safety of both the trapped workers and rescue personnel in mind.

Focus on safe evacuation

During the inspection, Dhami reviewed the progress made so far and sought information on the conditions inside the tunnel and the challenges faced by rescue teams.

He instructed the administration to ensure that arrangements at the site, including medical support and other essential facilities, remain in place throughout the operation.

Rescue teams are using specialised equipment and technical support to navigate the affected section, while authorities continue assessing conditions inside the tunnel.

With three people still trapped inside the tunnel, rescue teams are continuing search and evacuation efforts. Authorities are monitoring the situation and working with the agencies deployed at the site to complete the operation safely.