Rescue Efforts Intensify For Three Trapped In Uttarakhand Tunnel Amid Relentless Rain
Three Remain Trapped As Rain Hampers Rescue Operations
Rescue teams were battling continuous rain and difficult conditions on Friday as they searched for three people still missing inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. A sudden rush of water into the tunnel at a project site on Thursday swept away several workers, triggering an emergency operation that continued amid rising water levels and accumulated debris. The incident occurred at a project site of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) in Pipalkoti, where 22 people were working when a large volume of water suddenly entered the tunnel. The force of the water swept away several workers and left the rescue teams facing challenging conditions inside the site.
Rescuers were able to bring out 19 people on Thursday, but seven of those rescued later died while undergoing treatment, Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said. The remaining injured workers were taken to hospitals for medical care. The authorities have not yet provided further details on the medical condition of those who remain hospitalised. The immediate priority of the rescue operation is to locate the three people who remain unaccounted for. Officials said the water level inside the tunnel has continued to rise, while rain in the area has made it harder for rescue personnel and heavy machinery to operate safely.
Garhwal Range Inspector General of Police Rajiv Swaroop said continuous rainfall was creating challenges but expressed confidence that the rescue operation would succeed. He said the section where debris had accumulated was flooded and that machines were being used to rapidly remove the material. “The area where the debris has accumulated is flooded, and it is being rapidly removed with the help of machines,” Swaroop said. He added that authorities had marked a specific area for the search and were examining it carefully, with rescuers checking each square metre as the operation progressed.
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The presence of large quantities of water and debris inside the tunnel has complicated efforts to determine the exact location of the missing workers. Rescue teams have been working to clear the affected section while simultaneously dealing with the continuing inflow of water. The operation is being conducted under difficult weather conditions, with rain potentially affecting both access to the site and the stability of the affected area. Authorities are therefore using machinery to remove debris while rescue personnel systematically search areas where the missing workers could be located.
The incident has caused significant casualties among workers at the project site. Of the 19 people brought out of the tunnel on Thursday, seven died during treatment, while the others were shifted to hospitals. The deaths have added urgency to the ongoing search for those still missing. Officials are continuing to monitor conditions at the tunnel as the rescue operation progresses. The rising water level remains a major concern, particularly because it can restrict access to sections of the tunnel and potentially move debris. Despite the challenges, the rescue teams remain focused on locating the three missing workers.
Authorities have said the search area is being examined methodically, while machinery continues clearing the debris and water. The incident also highlights the risks faced by workers at large infrastructure projects in mountainous regions, where heavy rainfall can rapidly alter conditions and create sudden flooding. In this case, the sudden ingress of water left workers with little time to respond and resulted in multiple casualties. As rainfall continues in the region, rescuers are working against difficult conditions to reach the three people still missing. Officials said the operation would continue, with teams using heavy machinery and systematic searches to clear the affected area and locate the workers as quickly as possible.
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