Chamoli, August 14: A sudden rush of debris and water into the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited construction site in Pipalkoti has claimed seven lives and left medical teams attending to multiple injured survivors. The incident unfolded swiftly as intense flooding engulfed the subterranean project area in Chamoli, trapping a crew of laborers working below ground. Joint teams from the NDRF and SDRF rushed to the scene to initiate extraction procedures using heavy pumping equipment and specialized machinery.
Nineteen workers were successfully pulled from the flooded structure and transported to the Gopeshwar District Hospital, where doctors evaluated their conditions. While most rescued laborers stabilized after initial triage, medical professionals determined that one severely affected worker required immediate transfer to a higher-level medical facility in Srinagar.
Dr. Aayush affirmed that a total of nineteen people were brought from THDC, seven of whom were declared dead at the hospital, while thirteen arrived in relatively stable condition. He noted that ten patients were admitted locally, and one young man whose condition appeared somewhat unstable was referred to the Base Hospital in Srinagar.
The physical environment inside the passage presented extreme challenges to first responders from the onset, as high water pressure caused ongoing leakage through the tunnel walls throughout the afternoon.
NDRF Team Commander Amrit Lal Meena stated that a large volume of water had entered the tunnel when the rescue team reached the site, with water also seeping in from the sides. He maintained that personnel recovered four bodies directly from the inundated area using specialized tools and pledged that operations would proceed without pause until every individual is accounted for.
Project management confirmed the scope of the workforce present at the time of the breach, expressing ongoing cooperation with state rescue authorities.
THDC Executive Director for Projects Kumar Sharad declared that eighteen workers were rescued and shifted to the district hospital for treatment during the initial phases of the effort. He added that three to four of the rescued workers remain in serious condition while teams continue searching the complex.
