A sudden influx of water and slush flooded an under-construction tunnel at the THDC Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in Chamoli district on Thursday at approximately 7:05 PM. The incident involved sixteen workers who were successfully evacuated from the site. The tunnel is being constructed by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). Fortunately, no injuries were reported during this emergency situation.
Specialised rescue teams launched on an immediate basis to remove the heavy silt and provide ventilation paths. On site agencies: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Army and District Incident Response Force (DIRF). Supporting units : Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and local police personnel for providing security and logistic support of heavy machinery. “The government’s first priority in the current situation is evacuation of every worker that is stuck inside the tunnel. Real-time hydrological monitoring : Installation of early warning systems for water flow detection to inform the workers of flash flood in advance. A rescue team that consists of NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army, ITBP, CISF, and local police is working on removing the debris with the help of heavy machinery.
All necessary administrative and medical assistance has been provided,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
