Tragedy in Uttarakhand! 7 Dead, 13 Injured as Landslide Floods Hydropower Tunnel in Chamoli-War-Footing Rescue Underway!

A massive disaster struck northern India after at least seven workers lost their lives and 13 others were injured when a sudden rush of water, mud, and heavy debris flooded an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. The fatal accident took place late Thursday night at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) Limited's hydroelectric project site in the Pipalkoti area, where round-the-clock construction was underway.

The tragedy was triggered by relentless monsoon rains in the upper Himalayan hills, which caused a violent landslide on the slope above the project. The mudslide breached the entrance, sending torrents of water and slush gushing deep inside the shaft where more than 20 workers were actively on shift.
Emergency response teams-including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), CISF, and local police-rushed to the scene to launch an immediate joint rescue effort. Equipped with headlamps, dewatering pumps, and makeshift rescue rafts, personnel worked through the night to clear rising water levels and pull workers out of the flooded sections. While 19 workers were successfully brought out, seven succumbed to their injuries, and 13 hospitalized workers are receiving medical treatment as teams continue search operations for any remaining missing personnel.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami termed the mission a "war-like rescue operation" and directed state emergency centers to provide top-priority medical aid and assistance. The deadly incident has once again put the spotlight on workplace safety and environmental risks for major tunneling and hydropower projects in the fragile Himalayan belt during extreme monsoon weather.