7 dead after water, debris enter THDC tunnel in Uttarakhand; 22 rescued

Chamoli: The death toll in the THDC tunnel accident in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has risen to seven, with 22 people rescued from the under-construction tunnel in Mayapur, IANS reported.

The accident occurred after water and debris entered the tunnel, trapping workers inside. Rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are continuing at the site.

At District Hospital Gopeshwar, Dr Ayush said 19 people from THDC had been brought to the hospital so far, of whom seven were declared dead.

“Seven have been declared dead at the hospital,” Dr Ayush said.

Officials said 22 people have been rescued from the tunnel following the accident. Those who survived are undergoing treatment at District Hospital Gopeshwar.

One seriously injured person has been referred to Base Hospital, Srinagar, for further treatment.

NDRF team commander Amrit Lal Meena had earlier said rescuers encountered a large volume of water inside the tunnel after reaching the site, with water also entering from the sides.

THDC Executive Director (Projects) Kumar Sharad had said around 20 to 22 workers were inside the tunnel when the accident occurred. He said debris collapsed into the tail-race tunnel following a sudden influx of water.

CM Dhami monitoring rescue operation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has been monitoring the situation from the State Disaster Management Authority office in Dehradun.

He has directed officials to carry out the rescue operation on a war footing as teams continue efforts at the accident site.

With agency inputs