On Saturday, rescue workers in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, recovered the body of another worker from a flooded tunnel, marking the eighth confirmed death in the incident. This tragedy occurred earlier this week when a suspected aquifer burst unleashed a torrent of water and debris into the under-construction tunnel. Efforts to locate additional victims continue as the situation unfolds.
Twenty-two workers were on shift when the incident occurred around 7pm on Thursday. Uttarakhand State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) officials identified the eight deceased as Pradeep Panwar, Mukesh Singh, Durlabh Sharma, Vijay Hansda, Jitendra Kumar, Lokeshwar, Bhuvneshwar, and Devnath. Of them, eight have been declared dead and 12 are in hospital with injuries.
The search for two more workers missing since the accident was still underway but hampered by precarious conditions, said officials involved in the rescue at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation ( THDC ) tunnel. Chamoli district magistrate Gaurav Kumar said, “Suction pumps and other equipment are being used to facilitate the movement of rescue personnel inside the tunnel and help them reach areas where the missing workers may be trapped. Teams from the district administration, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force ( NDRF ) and other departments are coordinating the rescue operation, he said.
