Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Three Missing Workers Sought as Rains Hamper Efforts

Rescue teams in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district are continuing their search for three workers who remain missing after a tunnel at a hydel project site was flooded with water and debris on Monday evening. Officials said continuous rainfall and rising water levels inside the tunnel are complicating the rescue operation, but expressed confidence that it would succeed.

The incident took place at a construction site of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) near Pipalkoti. According to Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar, 22 workers were inside the tunnel when a large amount of water and debris gushed in from a point roughly 1.8 km from the entrance. Six workers who went in to help the trapped colleagues managed to return safely.

Of the remaining 16 workers, 13 were rescued on Monday, bringing the total rescued to 19. However, seven of them died during treatment, Kumar said. Twelve workers sustained minor injuries. One person is in a critical condition and has been referred to a higher medical centre in Srinagar, while the other 11 are being treated at the district hospital. The search for the three missing workers continues.

Garhwal Range Inspector General of Police Rajiv Swaroop said the area where debris has accumulated is flooded, and machines are being used to remove it rapidly. "The continuous rain is posing some challenges to the operation. We have marked a specific area for the operation, where every square metre is being carefully inspected," he told news agency ANI.

Rescue teams are using excavators and pumps to clear the flooded area. The terrain and weather have slowed down the operation, but efforts are being made on a war-footing, officials said. Multiple agencies, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are involved. Dewatering is being carried out to lower the water level inside the tunnel so that search teams can access the remaining missing workers. Officials have not given a timeline for the operation.

The Chamoli district has been receiving heavy rainfall for the past several days. In a separate incident on Monday, a bridge in the Niti Valley area was washed away by strong currents after the water level in a river rose sharply. Video footage showed a massive flow of water mixed with mud hitting a metal bridge, uprooting it and pushing it towards the riverbank within seconds. No casualties were reported in that incident.

Uttarakhand has experienced spells of intense rain in recent years, often leading to flash floods and landslides. The current rescue operation highlights the risks faced by workers in infrastructure projects located in fragile mountain terrain. Authorities have not disclosed whether an inquiry has been ordered into the tunnel flooding.

Meanwhile, family members of the missing workers are waiting for updates. The rescuers continue to work in challenging conditions, with the safety of both the missing workers and the rescue teams remaining the top priority.